Investigations for the development of electrostatic pollinator
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Date
2019
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Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur
Abstract
The problems in fruit setting with artificial pollination (contact type) can eradicate by the application of electrostatic forces (non - contact pollen collection and deposition), hence the study was undertaken to develop an electrostatic pollinator. Anagha variety of tomato and Preethi variety of bitter gourd were selected. Morphological characteristics of these flowers were studied for design of pollinator. A high voltage amplification unit with flyback transformer and MOSFET, a spherical shaped electrode and a DC input source were the major components of the electrostatic pollinator. The pollen collection capacity of two electrodes E1 (10 mm) and E2 (7.5 mm) were evaluated at voltage potentials of 3 kV, 4 kV, 5 kV and 6 kV at 5 mm, 10 mm and 15 mm distance from the anther tip of flower. The maximum number of pollens (409 for tomato and 2827 for bitter gourd) was collected by electrode E1 with a charging potential of 6 kV at 5 mm distance, both in case of tomato and bitter gourd. This high pollen collection rate was due to high detaching forces acting on the pollen grains at shorter distance between the anther tip and electrode. The pollen collection capacity was minimum (87 for tomato and 1227 for bitter gourd) for electrode E2 with an electrode potential of 3 kV at 15 mm distance. Pollens were deposited into the flower using the two electrodes (E1 and E2) at voltage potential of 1 kV, 3 kV and 6 kV at 5 mm distance from the tip of stigma. The fruit set efficiency of electrostatic pollination in tomato was 80% and artificial manual pollination was 40%. In bitter gourd, fruit set efficiency of electrostatic pollination and artificial pollination was 100%. But damage of stigma during hand pollination caused reduction in size, weight and number of sound seeds.
Description
Master of Technology in Agricultural Engineering