Abstract
An experimental system was tested in which mechanically harvested burley tobacco plants placed onto steelslotted receivers were retrieved from a field, transported to a field curing structure, and placed onto the structure for air curingby a single worker. The system consisted of a tractortowed, trailer mechanism that engaged and hoisted loads ofapproximately 360 burley plants of approximately 1 Mg mass. Ten slotted steel rails, 3.05 m long, holding 36 notched plantswere placed onto parallel wooden beams suspended at a height of 2.13 m by wooden posts set in the ground. Burley tobaccowas cured in this configuration covered by polyethylene.<br><br>Timeandmotion experiments showed that the system could retrieve tobacco from the field and place it onto a curingstructure adjacent to the field at the rate of 0.1 to 0.18 ha/h. Replicated experiments also showed that the system operatedwith negligible leaf loss due to handling. Finally, experimental results showed that leaf grade index decreased with time thatfilled tobacco rails were left lying on the ground after being harvested and prior to being retrieved. This study further indicatedthat the estimated cost of the proposed harvesting system compares favorably with systems that require several manuallaborers.
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