DEVELOPMENT OF THE POTATO TUBER CUTTING PROTOTYPE

Elghobashy, H.; Yehia, I.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2014.98257

DEVELOPMENT OF THE POTATO TUBER CUTTING PROTOTYPE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

H. Elghobashy ¹
I. Yehia ²

¹ Researcher, Agric. Eng. Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Dokki, Egypt.

² Head of Researcher, Agric. Eng. Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Dokki, Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2014.98257

Abstract

A locally made potato seed cutting prototype was designed, manufactured and evaluated. According to the physical and mechanical properties that related for cutting the prototype was designed. The prototype consists of three essential parts, included potato cutting system, power transmission and feeding systems. The prototype performance was evaluated at the variables of two potato varieties (Sponta & Diamond), three mass categories C_m1 (90 - 150g), C_m2 (150 - 210g) & C_m3 (210 - 300g) and three plunger speeds (0.08, 0.12 and 0.16 m/s). The evaluation parameters are the prototype productivity, cutting uniformity, cutting losses, mechanical injury and specific energy consumption.The proper uniformity of the cutting prototype of 76.8, 78.4 and 81.3 for Sponta and 68.2, 78.4 and 81.3 for Diamond were obtained at 0.08 m/s of the plunger speed for the three tubers mass categories, respectively. The mean value of the prototype productivity of 0.18 Mgh^-1 was recorded at the proper condition. The lowest cutting losses for the tubers mass categories were obtained at 0.08 m/s of the plunger speed. Both of the manual and optimum mechanical cutting operations were recorded less than 5% of the injury. The estimated cost of the potato cutting prototype saved about 50% from the manual cutting.

References

Ahmad, M.; M. Younis and I. Saeed (1999). Performance Evaluation of a Mechanical Potato Seed Cutting Prototype. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2 (4): 1527-1532.

Akhtar, M. (1987). Vegetables of Punjab. Dept. of Agriculture, Govt. of the Punjab, Lahore.

Anon (2005). Cultivation registers of Domar Foundation Seed Potato Production Farm for 2004-05 production years, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Domar, Nilphamari.

Anonymous (2010). Annual Report, 2009-10. Tuber Crops Research Centre, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701. 202 p.

Bohl, W. H., P. Nolte, G. E. Kleinkopf and M. K. Thornton (1995). Potato seed management: seed size and age. Univ. of ID Coop. Ext. Sys. CIS1031. http:// info.ag. uidaho. edu/ Resources/ PDFs/CIS1031.pdf (2/16/05)

Central Administration of Agricultural Extension and the environment (2014). cultivation and production of potatoes. Agricultural Research Center. Bulletin No.1304: 12 P. (In Arabic)

Chancellor, W. J. (1981). Substituting information for energy in agricultural. Trans. ASAE, Paper No. 0001-2351.

FAO Statistical Yearbook (2013). Area harvested and production of starchy roots and tubers.

Gamea, G. R.; M. A. Abd El-Maksoud and A. M. Abd El-Gawad (2009). Physical characteristics and chemical properties of potato tuber under different storage systems. Misr J. Ag. Eng., 26(1): 385- 408

Ibrahim, M. K. E. (1982). Wet milling Wheat Grain.Master thesis of science.Fac.Of Agric. Mansoura Univ., 64-65.

Ibrahim, S. O. and M. B. Fasasi (2004). Design and development of a portable feed mixer for small-scale poultry farmers. Proc. NIAE 26, Nov. 28- Dec. 2, Ilorin.

Ismail, Z. E. (1988). Some of the physio- mechanical properties for potato planters. J. Agric. Sci. Mansoura Uni., 13 (4), 2259 - 2270.

Johnson, S. B. (2004). Selecting, cutting and handling potato seed. Potato facts. http://www/umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/2412/htm(2/16/05).

Kader, A. A. (1992). Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops.Pub.3311 California Univ. Division of Agric. and Natural Res. 600 p.

Lipskil, N. Y. ; N. N. Lokhach ; A. S. Moisa and A. R. Kolinj (1992). An Automated Unit for potato seed cutting. Dept. of Agril.Eng. Shafi, A, 1990. Design and development of a potato seed cutter. M.Sc. Thesis, Univ. of Agri. Faisalabad. Abstract, 7: 15-19.

Mohsenin, N.N. (1986). Physical properties of plant and animal materials.Gordon of Breach science publishers, New York.

Nielson, M.; W. M. Iritani and L. D. Weller (1989). Potato Seed Productivity: Factors influencing eye number per seed piece and subsequent performance. American Potato J. 151-160.

Niemira, B. A.; W. W. Kirk; R. Schafer; J. M. Stein and R. S. Shaw (2005). Effect of whole seed piece weight, planting density, and a soil stimulant on yield in commercial seed potato and chip potato fields.

Virginia Cooperative Extension (2009). Potato seed selection and management. S. B. Sterrett VA Tech, and Eastern Shore Agricultural Research. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment.www.ext.vt.edu.