MODIFICATION OF PORTABLE WEEDING CUTTER FOR IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE BANKS

El-Iraqi, M. E.; EL Metwally, W. F.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2012.102557

MODIFICATION OF PORTABLE WEEDING CUTTER FOR IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE BANKS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

M. E. El-Iraqi ¹
W. F. EL Metwally ²

¹ Senior Researcher, Agric. Eng. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt.

² Researcher, Agric. Eng. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2012.102557

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to develop the cutter blade of the portable weeding cutter to increase its weeding efficiency and avoid the main problems of cutter blade damage, as well as, the labor fatigue resulting from repetitive cutter blade shocking with hard obstacles at banks of irrigation and drainage channels. The portable weeding cutter with two imported cutting blades and two modified cutting blades was evaluated for cutting three different types of weeds, namely: Diss grass, Giant reed and Cogon grass based on the cutting height (mm), cutting capacity, (100 m²/h), the cutting efficiency (%), energy requirement and weeding cost. The obtained results could be concluded as follows:

Using the portable weeding cutter with short flying chain blades increased the cutting capacity by about 328.55, 358.19 and 348.73% and increased cutting efficiency by about 3.09, 5.26 and 7.53% comparing with manual method for cutting Diss grass, Giant reed and Cogon grass, respectively.
The introduction of the portable weeding cutter with short flying chain blades for controlling such growing weeds on the irrigation and drainage channels banks should be promoted in order to reduce the manpower requirements (about 5-11%) and reduce the weeding cost (about 240-265%) that is not easily available and also to be able to concentrate weeding operation in the best period of cutting weed.

Main Subjects

Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

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