Development of power-tiller mounted cotton picker for selective picking with women operators

M MUTHAMIL SELVAN; K RANGASAMY; C RAMANA; G SENTHIL KUMARAN

doi:10.56093/ijas.v84i10.44217

Authors

M MUTHAMIL SELVAN Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
K RANGASAMY Agricultural Engineering College, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kumulur 621 712
C RAMANA Regional Agricultural Research Station, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517 502
G SENTHIL KUMARAN Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 089

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v84i10.44217

Keywords:

Comfort, Cotton picking, Optimization, Women-friendly, Work efficiency

Abstract

This paper highlights the development of women-operated pneumatic powered cotton picker attachment to powertiller compatible to major Indian cotton varieties and the performance results with a special emphasis to optimization of functional components. For development of the unit, dimensions of machine parameters, viz. pick-up pipe diameter, filter type, filter height, collection drum capacity, and aspirator speed were optimized through build and test method. The effect of variations of said parameters on pressure, which directly induces picking force, was studied independently and in combination, and the best-suited parameters were selected through statistical analysis. From the statistical analysis, the optimized cotton picker is with pick-up diameter of 25 mm, nylon mesh filter of 400 mm height and with 150 L capacity collection drum with the aspirator speed of 5500 rpm. The cost of picking with picker was Rupees 9.50 per kg of cotton (0.16 USD). The saving in cost, time, and energy compared to manual picking are 17.0, 75.0, and 74.6% respectively. The break-even point and pay-back period for the picker are 5900 kg/annum and 0.45 year respectively. The pneumatic principles adopted in the development of cotton-picker are promising in addressing the requirement of the women for cotton picking in Indian farms.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alan S Morris and Reza Langari. 2012. Chapter XV- Pressure Measurement, Measurement and Instrumentation, pp 397–423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381960-4.00015-2

Anonymous. 1995. RNAM Test codes and procedures for farm machinery, Regional Network on Agricultural Machinery (RNAM), Bangkok, Thailand.

Anonymous. 2009. ASABE Standards: Agric. Machinery Management Data. ASAE D497.6 JUN 2009. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE. http://asae.frymulti.com/standards.asp

Anonymous. 2011. Census of India. 2011. Government of India. CCI. 2013. Annual Report, Cotton Corpn. of India, 12 p.

Brian T Adams. 2013. Chapter IV-Farm machinery automation for tillage, planting cultivation, and harvesting. Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery Engineering, Second Edition, pp 67–85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385881-8.00004-5

Dimitri Golenko-Ginzburg, Ahazon Gonik, Ljubisa Papic. 1999. Developing cost-optimization production control model via simulation. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation 49(6): 335–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4754(99)00090-7

Dimitri Golenko-Ginzburg, Zilla Sinuany-Stern and Vladimir Kats. 1996. A multilevel decision-making system with multiple resources for controllingcotton harvesting. International Journal of Production Economics 46-47: 55–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0925-5273(95)00056-9

Dewangan K N, C Owary and R K. 2008. Datta Anthropometric data of female farm workers from north eastern India and design of hand tools of the hilly region. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 38(1): 90–100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2007.09.004

Grisso R D, Vaughan D and Roberson G. 2008. Fuel prediction for specific tractor models. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 24(4): 423–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.25139

Jianlong Dai and Hezhong Dong. 2014. Intensive cotton farming technologies in China: Achievements, challenges and countermeasures. Field Crops Research 155: 99–110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.09.017

Nagwekar S N, Kairon M S, Singh, Vireshwar and Singh V. 1983. Effect of picking time and interval on the quality of cotton. Cotton Development 13(2): 5–8.

Prasad J, Kapur T, Sandhar N S, Majumdar G, Patil P G, Shukla S K, Jaiswal B N and Patil A B. 2007. Performance evaluation of spindle type cotton picker. Journal of Agriculture Engineering 44(1): 38–42.

Raju A R and Gautam Majumdar. 2013. Evaluation of portable cotton picker. International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Research 2(1): 110–6.

Ruth Kaggwa-Asiimwe, Pedro Andrade-Sanchez, and Guangyao Wang. 2013. Plant architecture influences growth and yield response of upland cotton to population density. Field Crops Research 145: 52–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.02.005

Selvan Muthamil M, Rangasamy K Divaker Durairaj C and Manian R. 2010. Knapsack type pneumatic cotton picker: Physiological cost analysis with Indian workers. Agriculture Mechanization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America 41(3): 41–5.

Singh S and Buttar G S. 2012. High density planting system for mechanical picking and sustainable cotton productivity. Crop Improvement Spec. Issue 763–4.

Vatsa D K and Saraswat D C. 2008. Selection of power tiller and matching equipment using computer program for mechanising hill agriculture. Agriculture Engineering International CIGR E-J 2008: 1–11.

Ying-Ying Guo, Xin-Jie Wang, Yu-Sheng Zhai, and Zhi-Feng Zhang. 2014. A novel method for identification of cotton contaminants based on machine vision, International Journal of Light and Electron Optics 125(6): 1 707–10.