MANUFACTURE AND EVALUATION OF A SIMPLIFIED MACHINE FOR PLANTING OKRA SEEDS

El-Sharabasy, Moheb M. A.; Ali, Mahmoud M. A.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2012.102278

MANUFACTURE AND EVALUATION OF A SIMPLIFIED MACHINE FOR PLANTING OKRA SEEDS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Assist. Prof. of Agric. Eng., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2012.102278

Abstract

The object of this study was to manufacture and evaluate a simplified planter for planting okra seeds. The okra planter consists of four main parts of three cylindrical ellipsoid hoppers with bored metal strips, furrow openers and covering device. The planter was adjusted to plant okra seeds under the following parameters: three different numbers of holes on the hopper of 3, 4 and 5 holes; four different hole diameters of 6, 6.5, 7 and 7.5 mm; and three different planter forward speeds of 0.55, 0.78 and 1.15 km/h. From obtained laboratory and field tests, it could be concluded the followings: The maximum seed discharged from the hoppers of 8.16, 7.82 and 7.42 kg/fed were achieved at 5 holes number on the hopper and planter forward speeds of 0.55, 0.78 and 1.15 km/h, respectively. The maximum mean seed No. in the hill of 4.91, 4.63 and 4.36 seed/hill were achieved at 4 holes number on the hopper, 7.5 mm hole diameter and planter forward speeds of 0.55, 0.78 and 1.15 km/h, respectively. While these values were decreased to 3.71, 3,38 and 3.08 seed/hill and to 4.43, 4.05 and 3.72 seed/hill at 3 and 5 holes number, 7.5 mm hole diameter and planter forward speed of 0.55, 0.78 and 1.15 km/h, respectively. The minimum values of (C.V.) of 7.96, 9,14 and 14.81 % were occurred at 4 holes number on the hopper, 7 mm hole diameter and planter forward speed of 0.55, 0.78 and 1.15 km/h, respectively.The maximum okra yield of 5.12 Mg/fed was achieved at 4 holes number on the hopper, 7 mm hole diameter and planter forward speed of 0.78 km/h. While, the minimum okra yield of 2.91 Mg/fed was achieved at 5 holes number on the hopper, 6 mm hole diameter and planter forward speed of 0.55 km/h. The minimum energy consumed and planting cost of 0.186 and 41.60 kW.h/fed; 16.10 and 43.90 L.E/fed were obtained at high forward speed of 1.15 km/h for both worker with planter and tractor with planter, respectively.

Main Subjects

Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

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