Design, development and testing of different shapes of flails in Pak-seeder

Abstract

Majority of farmers burn rice residue in combine-harvested fields for timely sowing of wheat. However, existing mechanized practice to manage this residue is by Pak Seeder. In Pak Seeder, "U" shaped flails clog frequently due to heavy loose straw that reduce the effective field capacity of machine and have a higher operating cost due to more fuel usage. The machine also needs to be stopped frequently for unclogging the flails and rotor. To avoid this problem, two new shapes of flails (J and Y) were designed and developed. The machine performance was evaluated with newly developed flails and compared with existing flails (U-shaped) in the combine harvested rice field for sowing of wheat. The experimental data were collected and statistically analyzed at 5% level of significance. The Pak Seeder with "J" shaped flails performed better in chopping rice straw and the operator experienced ease of operation. The highest value of field capacity (0.54 ha/h) was calculated in "J" shaped flails while lowest (0.49 ha/h) was measured in case of "U" shaped flails. The highest fuel consumption (14.75 l/ha) was calculated in "U" shaped flails while minimum (17.49 l/ha) was observed in case of "J" shaped flails. The total cost with treatments 'J', 'Y' and 'U' shaped flails were 3,010, 3,648 and 4,096 Rs./ha respectively. The lowest production cost (1,625 Rs./h) and slightly higher yield (3,342.2 kg/ha) was observed in the treatment with "J" shaped flails. Based on experimental results, the most suitable "J" shaped flails were recommended for manufacturers and end-users.