Thakare, Dr. S. K.NIKAM, MAHESH DAMODHAR.2022-12-312022-12-312021-10-28NIKAM MAHESH DAMODHAR. (2021). Development And Performance Evaluation of Groundnut Harvester. Department of Farm Power & Machinery, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. Ph. D. 2021. Print. xxi, 213p. (Unpublished).https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810190948The present investigation was undertaken during the year 2018-19 and 2019-20. The development of tractor operated groundnut harvester was carried out at Padsons Industries Pvt. Ltd. Akola. The performance of plant conveying and pod stripping unit was carried out in the workshop of Department of Farm Power & Machinery, C. A. E. T. Dr. P.D.K.V., Akola during October-November, 2018. The field evaluation of the Prototype was carried out on University field during June-July, 2019.The study entitled “Development and performance evaluation of groundnut harvester” was carried out with the main objective to determine the optimum design and operational parameters of the groundnut harvester. Various crop parameters and soil parameters were measured during the study. The measured values were used for deciding the dimensions of various working components such as digging unit, conveying unit, depth of digging etc. The developed harvester was evaluated in the laboratory as well as in the field. The laboratory trials were conducted at the Department of Farm Power and Machinery and field trials were conducted in the field of the Department of Botany, Dr. P.D.K.V., Akola. The laboratory setup was developed having provision for changing the forward speed, conveyor speed, conveyor angle, drum type and drum speed. The laboratory setup consists of laboratory evaluation unit of groundnut harvester, belt conveyor platform, stripping drum, crop holder, electric motor, variable frequency drive, belt pulley etc. The groundnut harvesting mechanism was evaluated in laboratory at different combination of selected variables namely, forward speed, conveyor angle, conveyor speed, drum type and drum speed. The effect of forward speed (2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 km/h), conveyor angle (25°, 30° and 35°) and conveyor speed (2.5, 3 and 3.5 km/h) on picking efficiency while influence of conveyor angle (25°, 30° and 35°) and conveyor speed (2.5, 3 and 3.5 km/h) on plant conveying efficiency of the groundnut harvesting mechanism was studied. Similarly, the effect of three types of stripping drum (Peg, Rubber flap and Loop type) at three drum speed (200, 300 and 400 rpm) was studied with reference to pod stripping efficiency, un-stripped pod loss and pod damage. The results obtained from laboratory evaluation were statistically analysed by using factorial completely randomize design (FCRD) and optimum combinations of variables was determined. The optimum combination of variables that gives maximum picking and conveying efficiency was at forward speed of 2.5 km/h, conveyor speed 2.5 km/h and conveyor angle 25°. Similarly, the loop type drum at drum speed 400 rpm gives highest stripping efficiency, medium pod damage and lowest un-striped pod loss. Based on the optimum values obtained in the laboratory evaluation, a prototype was developed. The prototype was evaluated in the field for its performance and economics of the groundnut harvester was compared with manual method of groundnut harvesting. The developed prototype was evaluated in groundnut variety TAG-24. The field evaluation results showed that the average digging efficiency, picking efficiency and conveying efficiency of the harvester was 98.38 per cent, 90.32 per cent and 96.73 per cent, respectively. The average operating width and depth of the operation was observed as 348.7 mm and 130 mm, respectively and average pod damage was recorded as 4.77 per cent. The average effective field capacity and field efficiency of the prototype groundnut harvester was 0.059 ha/h and 66.67 per cent, respectively at optimum combinations of variables while the theoretical field capacity was observed 0.088 ha/h. The cost of operation of the developed groundnut harvester was Rs. 565.37 per hour and Rs. 9583 per hectare. The groundnut harvester saves 94.87 per cent labour and 89.13 per cent total man hours of operation as compared to manual method of groundnut harvesting.EnglishThesis