MECHANICAL TRANSPLANTING OF POTATO USING STEM CUTTING | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research | ||||
| Article 19, Volume 87, Issue 1, March 2009, Page 225-243 PDF (672.24 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejar.2009.193143 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| ASHRAF E. El-SHAZLY1; REDA G. SALIM1; ALBASUNY A. RADWAN2 | ||||
| 1Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Horticulture Research Institute Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Decreasing food importation is a major concern for agricultural policy makers. Therefore, a special attention should be given to all projects and programs designed to promote crop production increase. First priority is to be given to production increase through, improved varieties, adapting and appropriate technologies transfer. Self–sufficiency in potato crop production may be by applying new technological inputs in agricultural mechanization, to optimize operation timeliness, and to promote a new method for potato by stem cuttings transplanting. Potato diseases and pests can be controlled using stem cutting that prevents contact with tuber and soil. Also, one potato tuber can produce 20 to 60 cuttings, each yielding half to one kg of tubers in the field, moreover each cutting produce five or more seed tubers. The main goal of this work is to develop and construct attachments for the transplanting machine to directly obtain stem cutting suitable for potato transplanting and reducing direct cost of importing practices. The auxiliary parts attached to the transplanter for transplanting stem cutting of potato may maximize transplanting machine exploitation. The developed machine was evaluated and tested at El-Gemeza Agr. Res. Station, El-Gharbia Gov. during season 2006 – 2007. A Massey Ferguson tractor of 26.11 kW (35 hp) and modified transplanter with attachments was tested at different operating conditions, tractor forward speed (0.28 0.06, 0.42 0.0.06, 0.56 0.06 and 0.69 0.06 m/s), speed ratio between ground wheel and horizontal belt (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) distance between stem cuttings (0.2, 0.25 and 0.30 m) were also tested. The results show that the optimum tractor forward speed 0.28 0.06 m/s, speed ratio between ground wheel and horizontal belt 1:3 and distance between stem cuttings 0.30 m respectively. At these variable levels, the accuracy of distribution of stem cuttings and spunta tuber yield were maximized while missing seedling and operation cost was minimized. The developed transplanting machine reduced the operation costs to 50% compared to the local tubers method and saved 75% of the imported tubers costs. | ||||
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