CHAPTER I
The Problem and It’s Settings
This chapter is the discussion of the topic which includes background of the study,
research objectives, scope delimitation, importance of the study and the definition
of terms.
Background of the Study
For thousands of years, agriculture has been the backbone of human civilization,
supporting people and promoting social development. Effective management of
agricultural resources is crucial in the current period, specially when it comes to
harvesting and gathering grains, which are the foundation of our food supply. A
crucial part of this process, grain collectors have changed dramatically over time
due to technological breakthroughs and rising demand for grains worldwide. This
thesis investigates the crucial role that grain collectors plays in modern agriculture
by following their historical evolution, assessing how they affect food production,
and looking at the sustainable practices that are necessary to ensure their
continued relevance.
Farmers are mainly in rural and hilly regions, face significant obstacles in
accessing modern agricultural technology. Traditional tools and methods, even
though still highly used out of necessity, consume so much time and in efficient. A
rice grain spreader and collector however is less expensive and saves time. It also
make our life easier, like for example when there’s have a rain we can easy get the
dried grain in the road.
Adaption of rice grain spreader would increase the yields of the cops, save
time and increase production with sustainable framing standards. Reducing the
labor required for farming is not only less burdensome physically on the farmer
but also allows more time to engage in other essential farming activities like
drying harvest rice. Holistic improvement in drying rice could thus lead to
significant increase in overall productivity and profitability.
Mechanization in farming refers to the use of mechanical equipment in drying
rice. Ranging from the simple hand tools and to the innovations of spreader
machine, it is done with the very sophisticated, engine powered machines. These
tools require different sources, including human and mechanical power, and thus
are classified into three types of tools; hand tools and mechanical tools. The
category of mechanically powered by human is included to rice spreader it offers
a perfect balance and easiness tool.
OBJECTIVE
In Catanduanes, lack of tools remains to the one major constraint to
agricultural productivity. Many are not good in making wooden tool in mixing
dry rice. Although the province is well endowed with agricultural land, all its
potential remains unexploited due to limited availability of wooden tool some
farmers borrow wooden tools to their neighbor just to make there rice dry into the
sun. Rice grain spreader and collector machine enable faster work, thus reducing
the physical strain on farmers and allowing them to do work in less time.
The purpose of this study is to examine the performance and design of a rice
grain collector type that is more economical and efficient than current models. To
increase the quality of the grains it collects and decrease the amount of manual
effort needed to run the machine, the new grain collector will combine a number
of cutting-edge technology.
Statement of the Objectives
1. Innovate and develop prototype for rice grain collector
2. To evaluate the machines performance in terms of;
Capacity
Efficiency
Fuel consumption
Durability
Functionality
Operation
3. To test the acceptability of the rice grain collector in terms of;
a. Unformely of spread
b. Ergonomics
Scope and Delimitation
This study aimed to develop and design a dry rice grain collector and a
combination of quantitative and testing methods to assess user experience with
newly designed grain collector. As the global population continue to rise, there is
an ever growing need to enhance efficiency and sustainability of agriculture lies
in the optimization of tools and equipment used in the farming process. Grain
spreader and collector designed and fabricated for the purpose of stacking or
pilling grains quickly after threshing and field drying. A detailed literature survey
unveils that several types of grain collector machine have been successfully
develop, tested and used. Hence research shall be carried to find the scope of
improvement and to overcome the drawbacks of all grain collector machine have
been classified based on their fundamental principle and the working mechanism,
including a sweeper wheel type grain collector, engine driven vacuum type grain
collector.
According to Victoneino T (2013) the traditional sun drying method of a paddy
is still widely practiced by most farmers. The practice includes hauling a paddy
bags to the drying area, spreading out the paddy in the drying floor using a wide
board, then evened and slightly furrowed with wooden rakes. Mixing and turning
the paddy are done regularly to ensure that the paddy is dried evenly.
Owing to significant development of sun drying as a socially accepted
technology and it’s possibility of development through mechanization, he also
added that continues efforts have to be undertaken to conduct development studies
of local machinery based on the appropriate features of existing commercial
machinery from developed countries and emerging economies.
Significance of the Study
The development of rice collectors was the main focus of this study’s
researchers. The following will gain from this study findings.
Urban Lifestyle. Enabling easy harvesting that is also portable for large scale
farming.
To the Agricultural Sector. This research fosters the advancement of modern
agricultural machinery, encouraging the development and adoption of more
efficient and eco- friendly.
To the Farmers. Farmers stand to gain direct benefits from the use of rice grain
collector, including improved efficiency in land preparation, reduced physical
labor and lower input costs.
To the Students. The study serves as a valuable educational resources for
students, particularly those pursuing careers in agriculture engineering or
environmental science.
To the future researchers. This study can serves as a foundation for future
research.
Definition of Terms
Here are the operational definitions for these as applied to this research on
rice grain spreader collector.
Accelerator. In this study, the accelerator refers to the control mechanism
located on the rice grain plow that givens the user means of controlling the speed
of the engine through revolutions per minute (RPM). This is necessary in
managing the pace of the plow and adjusting field conditions.
Adaptabillity. Designing the rice grain to be adaptable to rice grain and
farming conditions ensures its utility across different agricultural settings.
Bearing. The bearing is a mechanical component mounted on the roller of
collector machine. In this experiment, it serves as a friction reducer to allow the
roller to easy to roll. It, in turn, allow for stable movement and plow longevity.
Durability Testing. Evalutes whether the rice grain spreader and collector
machine can withstand long-term use under actual working conditons without
filure.
Design and Development. In the context of this research, designing and
developing would be whole process of coming up with a rice grain spreader and
collector machine, under farming condition. This would take into consideration
the need of local farmers of Catanduanes to make the plow accessible and
practical to use in the region,
Engine. In the study, this is the heart of mechanical component, For this
purpose an engine, in the context of this study, refers to a necessary source
converting fuel derictly into motion, providing the machine plow with sufficient
power to manage the rice grain to collect properly and easy access to controls to
minimize operator of collecting.
Ergonomic. Designing the rice grain to be use-friendly is essential. This
includes adjustable handle, vibration reduction features, and easy access to
controls to minimize operator figure.