Development of a cassava planter | |
| Author | Jaturong Lungkapin |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.AE-07-05 |
| Subject(s) | Cassava planters (Machines) Planters (Agricultural machinery) |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering in Agricultural System s and Engineering, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. AE-07-05 |
| Abstract | Presently, Thailand is the No. l exporter of cassava products and the third largest cassava producer of the world. Due to industrialization in Thailand, there is a shortage of labor for cassava cultivation. Cassava planting is time and labor consuming. At the moment, there is no mechanical cassava planter available for Thai field conditions. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to design and develop a cassava planter. Three of the most preferred cassava varieties in Thailand, Kasetsart-50, Rayong-5 and Rayong-90 were selected to study crop properties for use in design. The dimensions were: stem diameter 10 to 29 mm, bend 0 to 260 mm, and height 430 to 1,500 mm. The weight of whole stem was within 31 to 564 g. The moisture content of stem was between 60 and 62% (w.b.). The bulk density of stems was also studied by comparing it with the bulk density of bundles. The bulk density of stems of all varieties was more than the density of bundle. The stem cutting unit and the planting unit were fabricated separately. The highest cutting quality of the stem cutting unit was found with a circular saw of more than 60 teeth, operated at a cutting shaft speed of more than 1,200 rpm and a cam shaft speed of less than 50 rpm. Stems were not damaged when operated under these conditions and the germination performance was satisfactory. The best planting quality of the planting unit was with a furrow opener of a boot 65 mm wide and 300 mm high, and an extensible boot wall with an extension of 50 mm. The ski length was between 400 and 600 mm placed parallel with the boot wall of the furrow opener. The delivery tube angle was between 1530 degrees. These values were used to decide the size and design some components of the cassava planter. Based on the above results, the prototype single row cassava planter was designed and constructed. The machine consisted of the upper frame, the cutting unit, the planting unit, the fertilizer. unit, the ridger and the soil levelers. They were installed on the lower frame. A 57.4 kW tractor was used as a power source. After preliminary testing in the lab and on actual field, the planter was modified to increase performance and planting quality. For field performance evaluation, three traveling speeds of 1.7, 2.0 and 2.4 km/h were used. The field capacity and the field efficiency varied from 0.11 to 0.16 ha/h and 63.2 to 67.2% respectively. The maximum draft requirement of the machine was 1.55 kN/row. Fuel consumption at the speeds tested was between 19.9 and 24.2 Uha. The testing showed proper standing of plants between 87.5 and 90.2%, improper standing and lying of plants between 3.0 and 4.4%, missing hills between 3.6 and 4.2%, horizontal planting (buried in the soil) between 3.1 and 5.3%, and damaged plants 0%. Percentage germinations were between 89.6 and 90.6%. The planting pattern and quality by this planter were showed satisfactory result. An economic analysis was conducted. The present manual planting costs is 100 US$/ha in Thailand. Assuming a planter life of 6 years, the machine with rented tractor had the break-even area of 24.8 ha/year when the planter operated at 2.4 km/h. For one year payback period, the planting areas required are 169.1, 97.8 and 80.7 ha/year at planter speeds of 1.7, 2.0 and 2.4 km/h respectively. The performance test and cost analysis indicated that the machine can be used economically as well as acceptable by Thai farmers |
| Year | 2007 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. AE-07-05 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Food Engineering (AE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Salokhe, V.M.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Athapol Noomhorm;Jayasuriya, H.P.W;Roongruang Kalsirisilp; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | RTG Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2007 |