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ThesisItem Open Access Development of multi row self-propelled rotary weeder for narrow spaced crops(CCSHAU, 2017) Gatkal Narayan Raosaheb; Vijaya RaniFarm mechanization is one of the most important elements of modernization of agriculture. In India, weeding is mostly done manually, which is time consuming and labour-intensive. Due to labour shortage for weeding operation farmers most of times experiences heavy loss. In developed countries like USA, Australia, China weeding operations are done with machine. Thus, this study undertaken to development of multi row selfpropelled rotary weeder for narrow spaced crops. The developed rotary weeder consists of engine, main frame, rotary unit, J type blade, handle and tyre. Power was transmitted from engine shaft to 1st intermediate shaft through v belt and from 1st intermediate shaft to 2nd intermediate shaft through chain sprocket system and from 2nd intermediate shaft to rotor shaft through chain and sprockets. It was evaluated under the operating parameters viz two blade length 195 mm and 180 mm, three rotary speed 330 rpm, 360 rpm and 390 rpm, three forward speed 1.6 km h-1, 1.8 km h-1, 2 km h-1. The optimized machine variable obtained for developed rotary weeder were blade length 180 mm, rotary speed 360 rpm and forward speed 1.6 km h-1. The weeding efficiency, field efficiency and plant damage were 80.12 %, 67.96 % and 1.2 %, respectively at optimum machine variable. Effective field capacity of weeder was 0.95 ha h-1. The labour requirement in man-h ha-1 with weeder and manual harvesting was 11.11 and 160 respectively. The cost of operation was 1736.49 Rs ha-1. It can be operated with 5 horse power engine. It saved time and cost of operation 44.45 % and 75.41 % respectively in comparison to manual method of weeding. The break-even point was 91.84 hours. The payback period was 1.18 years.