Here is a list of some equipments used in agriculture: 1. Axial Flow Sun Flower Thresher 2. Multi-Crop Thresher 3. Self-Propelled Vertical Conveyor Reaper 4. Multi-Crop Plot Thresher 5. Groundnut-Cum-Castor Decorticator 6. Tubular Maize Sheller 7. Tractor Mounted 2-Row Potato Digger 8. Sunflower Seed Sheller 9. Naveen Sickle.
1. Axial Flow Sun Flower Thresher:
It is a special type of thresher which is used for threshing sunflower crop.
The main features are as follows:
i. The thresher consists of:
(a) Feed hopper
(b) Bar type cylinder
(c) Thrower
(d) Two sieves
(e) Concave
(f) Blower
ii. It works on axial flow principle.
iii. The cylinder diameter is about 650 mm.
iv. It has one centrifugal blower of 280 mm diameter and 750 mm length.
v. The thresher can be operated either with a tractor of 20-30 hp or an electric motor of 7.50 hp.
vi. Considerable saving of labour and time is reported in this machine.
2. Multi-Crop Thresher:
A thresher used for threshing several crops is called multicrop thresher.
The main features are as follows:
i. It consists of:
(a) Spike tooth cylinder
(b) Aspirator type blower
(c) Sieve shaker
(d) Two top covers
(e) Three chambers
(f) Three sieves.
ii. Variable cylinder speeds (7-21 m/s) are provided for threshing different crops.
iii. It is suitable for threshing:
(a) Wheat
(b) Maize
(c) Sorghum
(d) Rice
(e) Gram
(f) Pigeon pea
(g) Soybean
(h) Mustard
(i) Sunflower
(j) Safflower, and
(k) Lin seed crops
iv. (a) Cylinder diameter is 500 mm.
(b) Length of cylinder 584 mm
(c) No. of pegs 92 made from M.S. flat.
v. It has one 4 bladed blower of 672 mm diameter and one 4 bladed straw thrower of 540 mm dia.
vi. The thresher is operated with 5 hp electric motor.
vii. Considerable saving of labour and time is reported in this machine.
3. Self-Propelled Vertical Conveyor Reaper:
It is an engine operated walking type reaper.
The main features are as follows:
i. It is suitable for harvesting and winnowing cereals and oil seed crops.
ii. Power from the engine is transmitted to cutter bar and conveyor belts through V-belt pulleys.
iii. A 5 hp diesel engine is used to operate the harvester
iv. Length of the cutter bar is about 1.0 m and its pitch is 75 mm.
v. It has four crop row dividers.
vi. The average field capacity of the machine is about 0.20 ha/h and field efficiency is about 65%.
vii. Considerable saving of a labour and time is reported in this machine.
4. Multi-Crop Plot Thresher:
Plot thresher is a machine used for precision threshing of samples of field experiments plot wise.
It is used for threshing samples of wheat, gram, sorghum, soybean, sunflower pigeon pea and pearl millet.
The main features are as follows:
i. It consists of:
(a) Spike tooth cylinder
(b) Concave
(c) Aspirator
(d) Blower, and
(e) Sieve shaker
ii. The handling capacity of this thresher is 3-4 times more than manual method.
iii. The cylinder diameter is 250 mm and 36 spikes of 10 mm diameter rods are provided. The length of the spike is 75 mm.
iv. The thresher has one aspirator type blower of 290 mm diameter and four blades run by one hp electric motor.
v. Considerable saving of labour and operating time is reported compared to manual method.
5. Groundnut-Cum-Castor Decorticator:
It is a manually operated device for decortications of groundnut and castor crops.
The main features are as follows:
i. It is an oscillating device, having cast iron shoes with triangular projections.
ii. Separate enclosures are provided for decorticating groundnut and castor.
iii. The concave clearance can be adjusted between 10 and 25 mm.
iv. The concave opening size is 45 x 9 mm for groundnut and 45 x 6 mm for castor.
v. The output capacity of the decorticator is 68 kg/h for groundnut and 40 kg/h for castor.
vi. Considerable saving of labour and time is reported in this machine.
6. Tubular Maize Sheller:
Tubular maize sheller is a hand operated device. It is suitable for shelling maize from cobs.
The main features are as follows:
i. Shelling is done by holding the sheller in one hand and gradually inserting the cob into the sheller by other hand with little forward and backward twist.
ii. The maize sheller is made from a metallic pipe of diameter about 60 mm and length about 70 mm depending upon locality and variety of maize.
iii. The weight of sheller is less than 250 g.
iv. The average output of maize sheller is about 20 kg/h. It saves 66% labour and operating time and 70% on cost of operation, compared to conventional method of shelling by beating with stick.
7. Tractor Mounted 2-Row Potato Digger:
Two row potato diggers are used for digging and exposing tubers from two rows.
The main features are as follows:
i. Two V shaped blades with round bars at the rear are mounted on cultivator frame with provision for adjustment of row to row distance.
ii. The lifter rods help in separation of soil and potato tubers.
iii. It can be operated with 30-35 hp tractor.
iv. The width of coverage is about 1.20 m.
v. The average field capacity is 0.30 ha/h and field efficiency is 70%.
vi. The total tuber losses during harvesting may be up to 2%.
vii. It saves 40-45 % labour and operating time and 35% on cost of operation as compared to conventional method of manual digging.
8. Sunflower Seed Sheller:
It is a sheller used for sun flower seeds.
The main features are as follows:
i. It consists of:
(a) Rotor
(b) Elevator
(c) Blower
(d) Two sieves
ii. The rotor consists of two wooden discs with hard rubber of which one is stationary and other one is revolving.
iii. The seeds fed into the hopper get graded initially and shelled at rotor assembly.
iv. It has two discs of 230 mm diameter and one centrifugal blower for cleaning.
v. A 3 hp electric motor is used as prime mover.
vi. Disc speed is about 3400 rev/min.
vii. The shelling and separation efficiency are about 90 and 96% respectively.
viii. Output capacity of the seed sheller is about 100 kg/h.
9. Naveen Sickle:
It is an improved hand sickle with a serrated blade.
The main features of the sickle are as follows:
i. The wooden handle has a smooth bend at the rear for better grip and to avoid hand injury during use.
ii. The length of cutting edge is about 225 mm.
iii. The total weight is not more than 250 g.
iv. The blade is self-sharpening type i.e. when the teeth wear out; a simple grinding at a rear face enables exposures of new teeth.
v. The average field capacity of the sickle is 0.018 ha/h (Approx.).