COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN SOME DIFFERENT POTATO HARVESTING MACHINE IN SMALL HOLDINGS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor,Agric. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

2 Professor,Agric. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt

3 Lecturer, Agric. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

4 Postgraduate student, Agric. Eng. Dept., Fac.of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out to compare between some different potato harvesting machines (agitator potato ‎digger, elevator potato digger and chisel plow) and evaluate their performance ‎under field conditions. Potato harvesting machines performance was conducted ‎under four different soil moisture contents (9, 11, 13 and 16%) ‎and thee different digging depths (22, 27 and 32 cm). Digging ‎operation was carried out at four different forward speeds (1.3, 1.8, 2.5‎and 3.0 km/h.). Harvesting performance was evaluated in terms of potato ‎losses, productivity, harvesting efficiency, energy requirements and harvesting cost. The ‎experimental results reveal that the use of both agitator digger and elevator potato digger maximize harvesting efficiency and minimize losses and cost comparing with chisel plow under the following conditions: The suitable digging depth to dig all potato tubers is 32 cm., the optimum soil moisture content suitable for digging potato is 13‎‎%, ‎the proper forward speed for operating potato ‎diggers is 2.5 km/h.

Keywords

References

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Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 2
April 2015
Pages 479-502

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