Performance evaluation of Motorized Paddy Field Weeder for row planted rice
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Date
2024
Authors
Lloyd Asly H. Alamani and Michael V. Magas
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Abstract
A motorized paddy field weeder is a machine that can remove weeds from rice fields without using herbicides or manual labor. It is designed to work on row planted rice, which is a method of planting rice seeds in straight lines with uniform spacing. This allows the weeder to move along the rows and cut or bury the weeds between the rice plants. Motorized paddy field weeders have several advantages over traditional weeding methods. They can save time, labor, fuel and water as well as improve soil health and rice yield. They can also reduce the environmental impact of rice production by avoiding the use of harmful chemicals and preventing soil erosion.
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a motorized paddy field weeds for row planted rice (PhilRice Prototype). The parameters are Effective Field Capacity, Field efficacy, damaged rice heel, weeding efficiency, average fuel consumption, average and average weed density population. There are treatments of rotary wheel which are 10cm width, 12cm width and 15cm width, each replicated three times.
The machine achieved the highest average effective field capacity of a 30cm diameter rotary wheel at 0.3439ha/hr (15cm width) while the lowest at 0.264 ha/hr (15cm width). The average field efficiency resulted at 95.53% (15cm width) the highest and 73.37% lowest (10cm width). The average damaged rice at 8.02 heel (15cm width) the lowest and 13.50 heel (10cm width) the highest. The highest average weeding efficiency at 78.87% (15cm width) while the lowest at 62.42% (10cm width). The average fuel consumption is at 0.57L/hr (15cm width) more fuel efficient than 0.68L/hr (10cm width). The machine 15cm with rotary wheel is more effective in the following parameters than 10cm width rotary wheel. These results highlights as the weeder’s performance indicator in terms of weeding and overall efficiency of the motorized power weeder for row planted rice.