DESIGN OF POTATO HARVESTER COMBINED WITH A TUBER COLLECTOR FOR TRACTOR ATTACHMENT

Abstract

In order to address the issues of low production in terms of potatoes as well as the labour-intensive nature of harvesting potatoes, a potato harvester combined with a tuber collector for tractor attachment was designed and fabricated. Field Conditions at which the equipment would be operated, Depth Adjustment Precision and Uniformity, Maintenance and Accessibility, Cost-effectiveness are some of the factors considered. The developed equipment was a basic but extremely effective tractor powered potato harvester combined with a tuber collector suitable for small and medium scale farms. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess the performance of the newly constructed potato harvester in conjunction with a tuber collector for tractor attachment before it was put into use. For improved potato-soil separation, the soil-separation unit's setting was designed to be 15°, and the PTO was linked to the potato harvester’s propeller shaft. The harvester is to run at slope inclination of not more than 16 degrees and with low soil moisture content. One row of potatoes is harvested by the potato harvester on each trip. The categories for the potato harvester are medium-to large-scale farmers, including contract farmers, large-scale farming businesses, agricultural cooperatives, and commercial potato growers. Future research is recommended to focus on optimizing the design and investigating automation technology.