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Original Article | Open Access | Aust. J. Eng. Innov. Technol., 2024; 6(1), 19-25 | doi: 10.34104/ajeit.024.019025

Field Performance Evaluation of a Power Tiller Operated Potato Planter

Md. Fardous Alam* Mail Img ,
Md. Abdul Momin ,
 Md. Israil Hossain ,
 Sharmin Akter ,
 Arafat Ullah Khan Mail Img ,
Md. Moudud Ahmmed Mail Img

Abstract

The research aimed to evaluate the field performance of a potato planter powered by a power tiller at the Regional Wheat Research Institute, BARI, Rajshahi. The study was conducted at a farmers field in the potato-growing region of Shyampur, Rajshahi, from August 2013 to January 2014. The planter maintained a 250 mm gap between seeds and a single row spacing of 60 mm. Field trials were conducted at different operating speeds and seed sizes for assessment. The study revealed that an optimal forward speed of 2.5 km/hr resulted in the most uniform seed spacing and minimal seed gaps. Field demonstrations in Shyampur showed the potato planters average effective field capacity was 0.11 ha/hr, with a 5% seed absence rate. In comparison to the traditional manual planting method, which required 53.3 man-days/ha, the potato planter significantly reduced labor requirements to 3 man-days per hectare. The total cost of planting was Tk.1781.82/ha. While the conventional method slightly outperformed mechanically planted plots in yields, using the power-tiller-operated potato planter demonstrated significant savings. A farmers field day showcased crops from both planting methods, highlighting the substantial labor (95%) and cost (53%) savings achieved by adopting the mechanical planting approach. Considering the comparative performance, it is recommended that low-income farmers adopt the power tiller-operated potato planter to increase planting efficiency, cover more area in less time, and significantly reduce production costs compared to traditional methods. 

INTRODUCTION

Potato planting constitutes a crucial pre-harvest opera-tion in potato production, accounting approximately half of the labor requirements. Conventional methods are costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, resul-ting in a gradual increase in yields from ten to eleven tons per hectare. In Bangladesh, the primary driver for future production advancements is the pursuit of increasing the yields. With an average per capita consumption of 37 kilograms and an estimated overall production of 52,000,000 tons in 2006, potatoes offer significant potential for increased area (BBS, 2006). Technological advancements and the cold storage facilities have led to enhanced potato yields, and the preference among Bangladeshi farmers to cultivate potatoes during the colder months has grown.

Mechanization has streamlined timely operations, with potato planters increasing labor standards, ensuring precise placement, and optimizing the cost-effective use of inputs like seeds and fertilizer. The adoption of potato planters aims to reduce labor requirements, especially during the peak potato planting season. According to Singh and Gulati, (2003) most potato planters has the ability for fertilizer placement in fur-rows, either in single or double bands, positioned 3 to 5 cm below the seed and 5 to6 cm far on both sides of the row. A 4-row tractor-drawn fertilizer drill cum marker can cover up to 1.5 hectares per day and requ-ires a tractor with 20-35 horsepower to run. During period of high labor demand, the timely completion of tasks by a potato planter generally results in higher revenues and makes it easier to complete other tasks quickly for the best rewards. Migration of agricultural laborers during the planting season often affects labor-intensive jobs, such as plan-ting operations. Manual potato planting is a time-consuming process that can lead to financial losses and a decline in the nations GDP. Singh et al. (2005) found that maximum yields and low disease incidence were recorded in crop planted before October 15. Planting practices vary depending on soil type, labor availability, and crop-ping patterns. Potatoes are manually planted with row spacing ranging from 45 to 60 cm, and mulching is used for soil moisture retention and weed manage-ment. Harvesting is also done manually using basic equipment. Therefore, in Bangladesh, the introduction of an appropriate mechanical potato planter is crucial to address delays in potato planting, reduce costs, and promote the overall mechanization advancement in potato cultivation.

Objectives of the study

This study aimed to compare the field performance of a power tiller-driven potato planter with manual potato planting. The specific objectives of the study were:

To assess and evaluate the performance of a potato planter driven by a power tiller on the farmers field.

To analyze and compare the costs associated with conventional manual potato planting and potato planter planting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The field implementation and evaluation of the potato planter took place in a farmers field situated in the potato-growing region of Shyampur, Rajshahi, Bang-ladesh. These field trials were conducted over the period from August 2013 to January 2014.

Methods of potato plantation

The potato planter functions similarly to a tiller, plan-ting potato seeds at regular intervals while simul-taneously tilling the soil. Potato planting in Bangla-desh involves two methods- planting whole tuber potato seeds and planting chopped piece seeds. The typical procedure for sowing entire tuber seeds, in-cluding sowing A grade seed (28-40 mm) properly, requires maintaining a seed-to-seed distance of 20-25 cm and keeping a gap of 60 cm between lines. For sowing cut seeds, the typical procedure involves an average seed size of 20g and a spacing of 60 x 16 cm. The cups take the seed out of the hopper, pass it over an opening in the furrow, and then drop it into the furrow at the necessary distance. This study evaluates both methods of potato seed plantation. The primary driving force for the potato planter is a power tiller. 

Construction of potato planter

The potato planter was constructed using locally available materials such as MS Sheet, angle bar, steel shaft, etc. Its primary components include, (i) a hopper for potatoes; (ii) a gang of rotating blades; (iii) a cup-style metering mechanism; and (iv) a roller-style bed maker. The design of this planter aligns with the recom-mended agronomic practice of potato planting by the Tuber Crops Research Centre (TCRC) of the Bangla-desh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). A power tiller-operated potato planer was also developed in the FPME division of BARI, consisting a frame, furrow opener, seed metering unit, ridger, and V-shaped soil compactor (Wohab et al., 2004). The design parame-ters and operation mode of power tiller-operated potato planter are illustrated in Fig. 1, where D1 is the tiller driving wheels diameter, D2 is the metering disks diameter, T1 is the number of teeth on the tiller-attached drive wheel sprocket, T2 is the metering shaft sprockets tooth count connected to the metering pulley, N is the total number of potato seed pieces sown in a given time and distance, n1 is the power tiller drive wheels revolutions per minute (rpm), and n2 is the metering pulleys rpm.

Fig. 1: Design parameter and operation mode of potato planter.

Collection of test data

Data were systematically collected following the test code of the Regional Network for the Agricultural Machinery (RNAM) for each test run in this study. The recorded parameters included operational speed, distance between seeds, quantity of absent seeds, theo-retical field capacity, effective field capacity, labor needs, and planting expenses.

Operational speed

The operational speed also known as forward speed, was calculated using the following equation.

 S = "d" /"t"  " x 3.6"          ………………………………….. (1)

Where, S= operational speed (km/hr); d= distance (m); t= recorded time (sec)

Distance between seeds

The drive wheel sprockets are easily interchangeable, providing a straightforward means to the adjust seed spacing. The available series of sprockets allows for seed spacing distances between 10 and 30 cm. With a sprocket size of 44, it is feasible to maintain seed spacings of 20 to 26 cm for cup-type planters and 13 to 17 cm for pick-type planters. Additionally, planting depth can be customized by adjusting the toolbar to move the furrow opener deeper or higher, or by adjusting the wheel up and down.

Quantity of absent seeds

Through field testing and farm trials conducted in the farmers fields, the study assessed the impact of seed piece size and operational speed on the performance of the potato planter. The evaluation utilized metrics such as the number of the missing seeds, wounded seeds, doubles, and the regularity index of spacing created during the planting procedures to quantify the accuracy of seed placement.

Theoretical field capacity

The theoretical field capacity, a measure of the rate of field coverage that would be attained if the machine consistently operated at its rated forward speed 100% of the time and covered 100% of its rated width, was calculated according to the method described by Mari et al. (2002).

 TFC = "SW" /"10"  ………………………………………… (2)

Where, TFC stands for theoretical field capacity (ha/hr), W is rated width of the planter (m), and S is rated forward speed (km/hr).

Effective field capacity

The effective field capacity is a measure of the actual average coverage rate of the planter during the total field time. It reflects the real average coverage rate, considering factors like the planters rated width, the portion of the rated width that is actually used, the planters movement speed, and the overall amount of field time lost throughout the operation. It is typically expressed in hectares per hour. The formula from Kepner et al. (1978) was used for its calculation.

EFC= "A" /"T"      ………………………………………… (3)

Where, A is actual field coverage (ha); T is total plan-ting time (hour); and EFC is effective field capacity (ha/hr).

Field efficiency

Field efficiency is defined as the ratio of the effective field capacity to the theoretical field capacity, exp-ressed as a percentage. This metric account for the impact of idle time during field operations and the underutilization of the planters entire width. The field efficiency of the potato planter is calculated using the formula proposed by Kepner et al. (1978).

FE=EFC/TFC*100 …………………………………….. (4)

Where, FE = Field efficiency (%)

Cost calculation

The calculation of costs considered both fixed and variable expenses associated with the potato planter. The pertinent cost parameters included: (a) the pu-rchase cost of the potato planter; (b) the salvage value of the planter; (c) life of the planter; (d) bank interest rate; (e) t annual use of the planter in hours; (f) charge for the operator in Tk./day; (g) the amount of fuel used; (h) maintenance and repair expenses; and (i) the cost of hiring a power tiller for planter operation. To facilitate cost comparisons with traditional planting methods, conventional planting expenses were also considered. The total planting cost equated to the sum of the fixed and variable costs associated with the potato planter (Anonymous, 1991).

AC = FC+VC   …………………………………… (5)

Fixed cost (FC)

Fixed costs represent expenses incurred regardless of whether the planter is in operation. The fixed cost of the potato planter was determined using the capi-tal consumption (CC) approach. This method invol-ves combining the total depreciation and interest changes by utilizing a capital recovery factor (CRF), which essentially represents a series of compound interest payments made annually. The estimation of the capital consumption of farm machinery is based on this payment plus interest on the underappre-ciated amount (Hunt, D., 2008).

CC= (P-S)xCRF + (S x i)   …………………………… (6)

Where, P is the potato planters purchase price in Tk.; S is its salvage value (assumed 10% of P) in Tk.; L is the planters life in year; and i is the bank interest rate in percentage.

Variable costs (VC)

Variable expenses for a potato planter are contingent on its usage and only incur when the planter is in operation. These variable expenses are often expressed on an hourly basis. The computation of the planters variable costs involved the consideration of following items.

Repair and maintenance costs (R&M) 

Repair and maintenance (R&M) costs for the potato planter encompass the expenses related to replacement of parts after a set period, as well as any incidental costs incurred during operation. These costs mainly involve items such as nuts and bolts for the furrow opener and furrow closure, the power transmission chain, and bearings. According to Hunt, (2008) this expense is estimated to account for 5% of the potato planters annual operating cost per 100 hours of usage.

R&M=0.05xP ………………………….. (7)

Power tiller hiring costs (H)

The potato planter was driven by a standard power tiller commonly found in farmers fields. The cost associated with the power tiller was considered an hourly rental expense for a typical ploughing opera-tion. The rental price for the power tiller covered the expenses of the operator and fuel.

Labor costs (L)

Wages paid to laborers were categorized as an assis-tant operator expense for the planter. The assistant operators main duties included assisting the primary operator in tasks such as replenishing the seed box, transferring seeds from a nearby area of the field, and allowing time for breaks and recuperation.

Annual costs

AC = FC + ("A" /"C" ) x(H+L+R&M) …………………. (8)

Where, A= annual area usage, ha; L= labour wage, Tk/hr; H= power tiller hire price, Tk/hr; R&M= repair and maintenance cost, Tk/hr; AC= annual cost of running potato planter, Tk/yr; FC= fixed cost, Tk/yr.

Break even use

The point at which the cost of owning a planter is the same as the cost of hiring a custom operator is known as the break-even use (BEU). The following formula can be used to calculate the Table:

BEU= "AC" /"CR-VC"     …………………………………….. (9)

Where, VC stands for variable cost (Tk./hr), CR for custom hire rate (Tk./ha), AC for annual ownership expenses (Tk./yr), and BEU for break-even usage (ha/yr).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thorough field trials and on-farm demonstrations in the field were conducted to assess the performance of power tiller powered potato planters that were manu-factured. These planters were subjected to rigorous testing on the farmers field to assess their planting potential, specifically for cup-type potato planters used for both chopped piece and whole tuber seed planting. The assessment considered factors such as the uni-formmity of spacing, percentage of missing seeds, seed damage, and instances of double seed dropping when evaluating the effectiveness of the potato plan-ter. The summary of the field performance evaluation of the potato planter is presented in the Table 1. The planters effective field capacity and field efficiency were determined to be 0.11 ha/hr and 73%, respect-tively at the recommended operating speed of 2.5 km/h.

Table 1: The potato planters performance on the field.

Cup type potato planter

A cup-type potato planting device was used for the planting of whole tuber potato seeds. The device consisted thirteen pairs of potato cups connected to a 4 cm flat belt, maintaining a 25 cm spacing between each cup. Each metering cup held one seed and rele-ased it as the planter moved forward without slipping. The metering pulley rotated to control the distance between seeds. For successful planting, 3.5 kg of gra-ded seed was placed in the secondary seed box. Fertili-zer was applied during planting, and the planter auto-matically controlled the seed placement. The main operator managed planting operations independently.

Selection of the size of seed and operational speed for planters

Based on the trial results of potato planters with vary-ing seed sizes and forward speeds, the selection of forward speed and seed size for cup-type potato plan-ters was determined through the consideration of uniformity index, yield, and net benefit. Statistical ana-lysis revealed that both seed size and operational speed significantly influenced yield and spacing uniformmity. Cup-type planters demonstrated improved yield and spacing consistency with seed sizes of 35 mm and 20 g, respectively, across all forward speeds. The maxi-mum speed resulted in the highest number of lost seeds. In addition to the planters operational speed, factors like labor efficiency, feeding rate to the planter, hopper opening size, and potato seed type contributed to the number of missing seeds (Momin et al., 2006; Hossain et al., 2023).  According to statistical results, speed had a substantial impact on both the planters average net benefit and output cost.

Effect of the size of seed and operational speed on absent seed

The percentage of missing seeds varied based on seed size and forward operating speed. Missing seed per-centages were more common in cup-style potato planters with larger potato seeds than with lower seed sizes. It was observed that, irrespective of seed size, the missing seed percentages increased with the for-ward operating speed, with a more pronounced growth rate at higher speeds (Fig. 2). The growth rate was slower at the first three lower speeds, but escalated rapidly at the highest operating speed. Slower seed movement allowed for better retention in the cup space during vertical cup movement, reducing the likelihood of seeds being missed. Conversely, faster speeds incre-ased the probability of absent seeds or skips, aligning with similar observations in the study by Hossain et al. (2009) on potato planter. When operating at slower speeds, the picker type potato planter exhibited higher missing seed percent-ages for the larger seed sizes compared to smaller sizes. Conversely, smaller seeds had a higher rate of missing seeds than larger ones when the planter operated at faster speeds. The mis-sing seed rate for smaller seeds increased at a faster pace with the speed increment. The utilization of larger seed sizes in the picking chamber, especially in the picking position, resulted in less space consum-ption compared to the use of smaller seed sizes.

Operating costs of planter

The operational cost of the power tiller-operated pot-ato planter was calculated based on test results and assumptions regarding machine life, hours of opera-tion (per day and per year), rate of interest and the cost of machine, following standard procedure.

Fig. 2: Effect of operational speed on missing seed by cup type planter.

Estimated costs for the planter were determined with an effective field capacity of 0.11 ha/hr obtained at a speed of 2.5 km/hr. Table 2 shows the estimated costs of the potato planter.

Table 2: Estimated planting cost of a potato planter driven by a power tiller.

Planting cost comparison

For the purpose of comparing planting costs, conven-tionally planted plots were also established alongside mechanically planted plots. The cost comparison bet-ween power tiller-operated potato planter and conven-tional method of planting is detailed in Table 3. The Table indicates that at the recommended speed of 

operation (2.5 km/hr), the cost of planting potatoes with the planter was Tk. 1781.82 with 3 man-day/ha. In contrast, for the conventional method it was Tk. 3801 with 54 man-day/ha. Therefore, the potato plan-ter saved about 95% in labor and 53% in planting costs compared to the conventional method of planting. 

Table 3: Cost comparison between potato planter and conventional method of planting.

Break even analysis of cup type potato planter

The break-even analysis of power tiller operated potato planter and conventional method shows the relationship between machine planting cost/ha and the total area to be cultivated. It was observed that the cost of potato planting per hectare decreases as the planted area increases. The break-even point for using the power tiller-operated cup type potato planter is 4.2 hectares. Below this threshold, potato planters may not find it economically viable to plant potatoes.

CONCLUSION

Timely planting is crucial for achieving the optimal potato yields in pre-harvest operations. The use of a cup type power tiller-operated potato planter, both for whole tuber and cut piece seeds, significantly reduces planting time compared to the conventional methods, requiring only one operator and two wor-kers. The potato planter demonstrates effectiveness in enhancing production quality, facilitating tilling, sequential and evenly spaced seed planting, simul-taneous earthing up. Notably, it reduces planting expenses and labor requirements for potato planting by 53% and 95%, respectively, when compared to traditional methods. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors extend their appreciation to the Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh and the Regional Wheat Research Centre, BARI, Shyampur, Rajshahi, for the facilitating and supporting this study.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Article Info:

Academic Editor

Dr. Toansakul Tony Santiboon, Professor, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, Australia.

Received

January 1, 2024

Accepted

February 5, 2024

Published

February 14, 2024

Article DOI: 10.34104/ajeit.024.019025

Corresponding author

Md. Fardous Alam*

Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Cite this article

Alam MF, Momin MA, Hossain MI, Akter S,  khan AU, and Ahmmed MM. (2024). Field performance evaluation of a power tiller operated potato planter. Aust. J. Eng. Innov. Technol., 6(1), 19-25. https://doi.org/10.34104/ajeit.024.019025 

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