Performance Evaluation of Manually Operated Mulch Laying  Machine on Different Soil Conditions

S. V. Pathak; A. V. Rangbhal; P. U. Shahare; C. S. Bagde; S. S. More

doi:10.36956/njas.v5i1.703

Performance Evaluation of Manually Operated Mulch Laying Machine on Different Soil Conditions

S. V. Pathak(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, India)
A. V. Rangbhal(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, India)
P. U. Shahare(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, India)
C. S. Bagde(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, India)
S. S. More(Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, India)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36956/njas.v5i1.703

Article ID: 703

Abstract

A machine with manual operation for mulch-laying machine with a

punching arrangement was developed, and its performance was assessed

at three different mulch paper thicknesses (15 m, 20 m and 25 m), three

different disc angles (35 degrees, 40 degrees, and 45 degrees), three

different punch spacings (250 mm, 500 mm, and 1000 mm), and three

different forward speeds (1.3 km/h, 1.5 km/h, 1.7 km/h) to investigate their

effects on field capacity, effective field efficiency, and punching efficiency.

Utilizing randomised block design and response surface methods, the

experimental plan for optimization was created. All of the independent

variables’ combined effects on the dependent variables were found to be

statistically significant. The influence of operating speed and mulch paper

thickness was found to be the most significant on the dependent variable.

The effective field capacity and field efficiency increased from 0.11 ha/h

to 0.19 ha/h and 72.04 percent to 89.51 percent, respectively, by increasing

mulch paper thickness from 15 µm to 25 µm and operating speed from

1.3 km/h to 1.7 km/h, whereas punching efficiency fell from 85.18 percent

to 84.40 percent. Mulch paper of 15 µm and a disc angle value of 40

degrees were optimised from the independent factors that were chosen for

optimal soil covering over the laid plastic mulch sheet. Punching efficiency

was maximised with performance optimised at 500 mm punch spacing.

Additionally, the machine operated more efficiently at 1.5 km/h.

Keywords

Field efficiency; Punching efficiency; Response surface methodology; Mulch laying machine

Full Text:

PDF

References

[1] Anonymous, 2011. Practical Manual on Plastic

[2] Mulching., Department of Agriculture and Cooperation ministry of agriculture, GOI. pp. 1-15.

[3] Anonymous, 2017. National Agricultural Scenario.

[4] https://icar.org.in/files/state-specific/chapter/3.htm.

[5] Avtade, 2015. Development of tractor operated mulch laying machine, submitted post Graduation Thesis, Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, CTAE, Udaipur. pp. 31-39.

[6] Dutta, D., 2006. Studies on effect of planting method and mulch on summer groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). International Journal of Agricultural Science. 2(2), 441-443.

[7] Game V.N., Chavan, S.A., Mahadkar, U.V., et al., 2017. Response of Rabi Sweet Corn (Zea mays saccharata L.) to Irrigation and Mulching in Konkan Region of Maharashtra. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research. 35(1), 27-30.

[8] Jia, H., Wang, L., Hongjie, T., et al., 2010. Combined

[9] stalk–stubble breaking and mulching machine. Soil & Tillage Research. 107, 42-48.

[10] Khazimov, J.M., Khazimov, M.Z., 2011. To justification of the parameters of the work wheel of the seedling planting device for soil mulching. Journal of University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy. 46, 99-104.

[11] Lawrence, M.J., Buckmaster, D.R., Lamont, W.J., 2007. A Pneumatic Dibbling Machine for Plastic Mulch. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 23, 419-424.

[12] Minto, J., 2016. Evaluation of Plastic Mulch for Mechanical Installation, Degradation and Moisture Distribution Pattern under Onion Cultivation. Submitted Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, CTAE, Udaipur Chapter 4. pp. 64-81.

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

NASS Journal of Agricultural Sciences