DEVELOPING A MULTI PURPOSE DIGGER FOR HARVESTING ROOT CROPS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Pro. Agric. Eng., Fac. Agric. Mansoura Univ., Egypt.

2 Master researcher. Agric. Eng., Fac. Agric. Mansoura Univ., Egypt.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a multi purpose digger for harvesting root crops ( potato and peanut ), separating and transporting them over soil surface with minimum losses, mechanical damage and cost. Root crops digger was developed by adding  a successful vibrating  separating mechanism that should based on separating  root crops with minimum losses and damage. The developed digger was tested at three levels of forward speeds (1.8, 2 and 2.6 km/h), for potato, (1.4, 1.8 and 2.3 km/h), for peanut and three different tilt angles ( 12ْ ,18ْ and 24ْ ). The experiments were carried out during two successful agricultural seasons of 2007 for peanuts at El Assasin country, El Sharkia Governorate and 2008 for potato at Manzala city, El Dekahlia governorate. From the obtained results, it was cleared the proper conditions to operate the developed digger were 22 cm harvesting depth, 2.6 km/h forward speed and 0.31 rad (18ْ ) tilt angle for potato crop and 15 cm harvesting depth, 2.3 km/h forward speed and 0.21 rad (12ْ ) tilt angle. The cost of harvesting using the digger was 91.55 L.E / fed for potato, 101.24 L.E / fed for peanut.

Main Subjects


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