MECHANIZATION OF SUGAR CROPS TRANSPLANTING

Abstract

The main aim of this research was study the factors affecting the mechanical transplanting of main sugar crops related to development a single row transplanter prototype to fit the conditions of the Egyptian agriculture. Sugar cane is planted once every four or five year, and use of the transplanter prototype in transplanting sugar beet crop increases the number of annual operating hours and reduces the machine operation costs. The field experiments of the transplanter were conducted at four forward speeds of (0.7, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.4 km/h) and included the energy required, actual field capacity, field efficiency, actual in-row spacing, and missing hills percentage. Final results show that the average lower actual seedlings spacing 41.5 and 20.6 cm at forward speed 0.7 km/h for theoretical seedlings spacing 40 cm (sugar cane) and 20 cm (sugar beet) respectively, lowest values of missed seedlings (1.28%) and (1.53%) at forward speed of 0.7 km/h for crops of sugar cane (λ=0.262) and sugar beet (λ=0.525), Maximum field efficiency of transplanter was 82% and 76% at forward speed 0.7 km/h crops in case of sugar beet and sugar cane respectively and the transplanting costs were 830 L.E. and 597 L.E. per feddan with forward speeds 0.7 km/h for sugar beet and sugar cane crops respectively.