Adaptation and Performance Evaluation of Tractor Drawn Rigder for Potato Hilling

Abstract

This study was carried out to adapt and performance evaluation of tractor-drawn rigder for potato Hiller at predetermined row spacing and operating speed. The fabricated ridger consisting of a main frame, tyne, frog, mouldboard, share, and hitching system. The performances of the hiller were evaluated in terms of ridge height and width, plant damage, draft and power requirement, field capacity, field efficiency, labour cost and economics owning and operating. The experimental design used was completely randomized design (three levels of speeds of operation with three replications). The hiller was evaluated at tractor forward speed of 2, 2.5, 3 km/hr. Forward speed of the tractor had significant effect on the height of ridge formed at p < 0.05.. The average theoretical field capacity, effective field capacity, field efficiency, and fuel consumption were 0.32 ha/hr, 0.30 ha/hr, 92.57%, and 1.5 l/hr respectively at speeds of 2km/hr and 93.63% of weeding observed during the field test. Depending on the results of performance evaluation, it is concluded that the constructed potato ridger can be efficiently and economically used by the majority of farmers.