AN APPROPRIATE SUGAR-BEET HARVESTING MECHANIZATION FOR BIG-SCALE PROJECT

Authors

1 Prof. and head of Ag. Eng. Dept., Col. of Ag. Al -Azhar U., Assiut, Egypt.

2 Prof. and Head Res., Ag. Eng. Res. Inst. , Egypt.

3 Assoc. Prof., Ag. Eng. Dept., Col. of Ag., Al -Azhar U., Assiut , Egypt.

4 Post Graduate Student, Ag. Eng. Dept., Col. of Ag. Al Azhar U., Assiut, Egypt.

Abstract

The aim of this research is to  choose and evaluate the performance rate of three harvesting machines of sugar beet (lifting machine + topping machine, combined and self-propelled machines) appropriate with big scale projects with  three different irrigation-systems (pivot, sprinkler and flood). The summarized results are:
By using pivot irrigation-system, the maximum machine-performance rate of 3 fed/h ( 81 ton/h ) was obtained with forward speed of 6.5 km/h and 6-rows separated machines for topping and lifting of sugar beet. Meanwhile, the minimum machine-performance rate of 0.91 fed/h
(24.30 ton/h) was obtained with forward speed of 3.5 km/h and 4-rows combined harvester of sugar beet.

The maximum sugar-beet loss of 8 % was obtained with forward speed of 6.5 km/h, flood irrigation-system and combined harvesting-machine. Meanwhile, the minimum sugar-beet loss of 3.3 % was obtained with forward speed of 3.5 km/h, pivot system by using two machines for topping and lifting.
The maximum lifting, loading and harvesting efficiencies of sugar-beet of 99.84, 97 and 96.7 % were obtained with forward speed of 3.5 km/h, pivot system by using two separated machines for topping and lifting. Meanwhile, the minimum sugar-beet lifting, loading and harvesting efficiencies of 99.6, 92.8 and 92 % was obtained with forward speed of 6.5 km/h, flood irrigation-system and combined harvesting-machine.
The maximum sugar-beet yield of 27.2 ton/fed was obtained with forward speed of 3.5 km/h, pivot irrigation-system by using two machines
for topping and lifting. Meanwhile, the minimum sugar-beet yield of 16 ton/fed was obtained with forward speed of 6.5 km/h, flood irrigation-system by using combined harvesting-machine.

The minimum operation-costs were 17.75 L.E./ton (445.5 L.E./fed) by using 6-rows topping and lifting machines at forward speed of 3.5 km/h and pivot irrigation-system. Meanwhile, the maximum operation-costs and were 31.6 L.E./ton (780.9 L.E./fed) by using 4-rows combined harvester at forward speed of 3.5 km/h and flood irrigation-system.

Main Subjects


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