BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

4 Agricultural Machinery and Equipment

Agricultural Machinery. It deals with the study of application, use, and management of various
agricultural machines, tools, and equipment used for production and post-production operation.

Classifications of Agricultural Machines

➢ Agricultural Field Equipment

• Agricultural Field Implement
• Agricultural Tractors
➢ Farmstead Equipment

Agricultural Field Equipment. This are equipment designed primarily for agricultural field
operation. This includes agricultural tractors, self-propelled machines, implements, and their
combinations.

(1) Agricultural Tractors. A traction machines designed primarily to supply power to agricultural
implements and farmstead equipment. It propel itself and provide a force to the direction of travel
to enable attached soil engaging and other agricultural implement to perform its intended function.

(2) Agricultural Implement. An implement that is designed to perform agricultural operations.

This are further classified into: (a) towed, mounted, and semi-mounted implements.

(3) Self-Propelled Machines. An implement designed with integral power unit to provide both
mobility and power for performing agricultural operations.

Farmstead Equipment. This are equipment other than agricultural field equipment used in
agricultural operation for the production of food and fiber. This includes livestock equipment,
waste handling system, crop drying and milling systems, material handling systems, and others.
Classifications of Equipment According To Operation

➢ Tillage Equipment. This includes plow and harrow used to prepare the land to make it
ready for seeding and planting operation.

➢ Seeding and Planting Equipment. These are equipment used to place seeds or plant parts
into the prepared seedbed.
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➢ Crop Maintenance Equipment. This includes cultivating, weeding, spraying, dusting, as

well as irrigation equipment aim to make sure that the crop grows to produce its potential
yield.

➢ Harvesting and Threshing Equipment. These are equipment used to gather and separate
the produced from the panicles and make it ready for primary processing operation.

➢ Drying Equipment. These are equipment used to reduce the moisture of the product to a
level that it can be stored with minimum loss from spoilage.

➢ Milling Equipment. These are equipment used to process the product ready for
consumption.

➢ Storage Equipment. This are equipment used to keep the product safe from deterioration
or spoilage for prolong period of storage.

Tillage. Is the preparation of the soil for planting and the process of keeping it loose and free from
the weeds during the growth of crops.

Objectives:

• To prepare a suitable seedbed

• To destroy competitive weeds
• To improve the physical condition of the soil

Classification of Tillage

1. Primary Tillage (plowing)

2. Secondary Tillage (harrowing)

Primary Tillage Equipment. This is use by the farmers to break and loosen the soil in a depth of
6 in – 36 in ( 15.2 – 91.4 cm).
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FIGURE 4.1 Moldboard Plows

The mouldboard plow is adapted to the breaking of many types of the soils and is well suited for
turning under and covering crop residues.

Parts of a Moldboard Plow

➢ Moldboard
➢ Share
➢ Shin
➢ Landside
➢ Frog

Moldboard. Is used to receive the furrowslice and throws it to one side.

Frog. Is an irregular shape of metal that is being used in bolting share, landside, and mouldboard.

Share. The share of the mouldboard plow provides the cutting edge.

Principal Parts of the Share

➢ Point
➢ Wing
➢ Cutting Edge
➢ Gunnel
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Landside. The landside is that part of the plow bottom which slides along the face of the furrow
wall. It helps to counteract the side pressure exerted by the furrowslice on the mouldboard. It also
helps to steady the plow while it is being operated. The shin is the cutting edge of the mouldboard,
just below the landside.

Size of The Moldboard Plow

The size of the mouldboard plow is its width in inches. This is determined by measuring the
distance from the wing to the landside. The rule is held perpendicular to the landside.

Design of Moldboard Plows

To design a mouldboard plow which will satisfactorily under all soil conditions is a problem that
has never been entirely solved, yet more work has been done on perfecting the plow bottom than
on other agricultural implements. Upon its performance depends the quality of the seedbed the
farmer can prepare, which in turn will influence the germination of the seed, the growth of the
plant, and the yield that will be obtained in the end.

The main points to consider are the following:

• The top of the furrow may be slightly ridged.

• The soil must be pulverized thoroughly from the top to the bottom of the furrow.
• Each furrow must be perfectly straight from end to end on level land.
• All back furrows must be slightly raised, and all trash completely covered.
• The outline of the furrows must be in a point without break or depression.
• All trash must be buried completely in the lower right-hand corner of the furrow.
• Furrows must be thoroughly uniform.
• The depth of all the furrows must be the same, continuing in uniform depth.
• The dead furrows must be free of all trash.
• Unbroken strips must not be left between furrows in contour plowing.

Draft of Mouldboard Plow

The draft of the mouldboard plow is affected by many factors, such as the type and shape of
bottom, more specially the mouldboard; the sharpness of the share; the overall adjustment of the
plow; the depth and width of the furrow; and the many soil types and characteristics of the soil.
The speed at which the plow is operated is an important factor affecting draft of plows.

The draft of any plow can be determined by an instrument called a dynamometer, which registers
the pull or draft of the plow over a measured distance. Then, knowing the rate of travel, the
horsepower as well as the average draft per unit of the cross section of the furrowslice can be
determined:
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Hp = force x distance travelled in ft/min

33,000
Collins state that “ The draft of the plow on the ground is 18 %; draft due to turning furrowslice ,
34%; draft due to cutting slice, 48%.”

Sample Problem: A three bottom 14-in plow is to be used in a heavy clay soil which offers a
resistance of 10 psi (cross section of furrow slice). The depth of plowing is to be 6 inches. The
speed is 3 mph. Determine the size of tractor required to pull this plow.

Solution:

From the fundamental equation of horsepower;

Hp = F x D ; then S = D/T
T x 33,000

So, Hp = F x S
33,000

Where; F = draft (lb) ; S = speed (ft/min); T= time (min)

Given: F = 10 psi x 6 in x (3 x 14 in) = 2, 520 lb

S = 3 mph = 264 ft/min

Hp = 2,520 x 264 = 20 (minimum requirement)

33,000

In order to have some reserve power, the 20 hp should be represent only about 80 percent of the
tractor rated drawbar horsepower. Hence, 20/.8 = 25 hp which is approximately correct size to
select.
FIGURE 4.2 Disk Plows
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The disk plow was probably about 1890.

The disk plow was brought out in an effort to reduce friction by making a rolling bottom instead
of a bottom that would side along the furrow. It cannot be said with authority that, after the extra
weight is incorporated into the plow, it will have any less draft than the mouldboard type. The
result of the disc plow usage, however,show that it is adapted to conditions where the mouldboard
will not work, such as the following:

• Sticky, waxy, gumbo, nonscouring soils and soils having a hardpan or plow sole.
• Dry,hard ground that cannot be penetrated with a mouldboard plow.
• Rough,stony, and rooty ground, where the disk will ride over the rocks.
• Peaty and leaf-mold soils where the mouldboard plow will not turn the slice.

Design of Disk Plows

The disk plow bottom is a perfectly round, concave disk of heat hardened steel, sharpened on the
edge to aid in the penetration of the soil. The size of the disk plow bottom is the diameter of the
disk and ranges from 29 to 38 in (50.8 to 96.5 cm). the average thickness of the steel for disk plow
bottom is 3/16 inches (4.8 mm) for the smaller sizes and may be as much as 3/8 inches (9.5 mm)
for the larger sizes. The amount of the concavity varies with the different diameters of the disk.

Angling of Disk-Plow Bottom

The disk plow can be made to penetrate more easily when the disk is set more in a vertical position.
The flatter it sits, the fewer tendencies there will be for it to penetrate. Further to enable the disk
plow to take the soil properly, weight is added to the frame and wheels to force the plow into the
ground.

There is one great difference between mouldboard and disk plows: the mouldboard plow is pulled
into the ground by the suction of the plow, while the disk is forced into the ground by added weight
or force and by the suction of the disk due to the angle at which it is set.

Accessories for Disk Plows

Disk plow bottom should be equipped with scrapers which be adjusted to work from the center to
the edge of the disk. With the aid of the scraper, it is possible to get greater pulverization of the
furrow slice. It is also possible to invert the furrow slice and cover trash much better. Weights aid
in forcing into the soil and hold the wheel in the furrow to prevent the disk riding out of the soil
when plowing extra-dry and hard soil. Most types of disk plows can be obtained with hydraulic
lifts. Lever or screw cranks aid in levelling the plow and adjusting for depth.
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Draft of Disk Plows

The disk plow is slightly lighter in draft than the mouldboard when plowing under similar
conditions and turning the same volume of soil.

Factors that affect the draft of a Disk Plow

➢ Type of soil
In very hard ground, it is often necessary to add weight to the wheels to force the
plow into the soil; of course added weight will create more draft.

➢ Bearing s of the disk plow blade

According to the test conducted by Hardy a plain cone bearing will pull 23 %
heavier than a ball or roller bearing.

➢ Type of scraper
➢ Depth and width of cut

FIGURE 4.3 Rotary Plows

Rotary plows are discussed separately from mouldboard and disk plows because they are of
different design. They are neither mouldboard nor disk plows.

Rotary plows are pulled forward by a tractor and its rotating knives by the Power-Take-Off (PTO)
of the tractor itself or by an auxiliary engine mounted on the frame of the tractor.
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Chisel Plows

FIGURE 4.4 Chisel Plow

The chisel plow is a toll with a rigid curved or straight shank with relatively narrow shovel points.
It may be termed a heavy-duty deep cultivator. The soil is stirred more or less in place.

Most chisel plows are provided with coil cushion springs in conjunction with the clamps. This
permits the ground tool to swing back and up and to unhook the point. The furrows may be as
close as 12 inches (30.5 cm) or as wide apart as 2 to 3 ft. The depth of plowing may be as shallow
as desired or as deep as 18 inches.

As the soil is broken by stirring, it is not inverted and pulverized to the extent that the mouldboard
and disk plows crush the soil. Therefore, the chisel plow is often used to loosen hard, dry soils
before the regular plow is used. The chiselling and the stirring operation does not throw enough
soil to cover trash completely. Hence, the chisel type plow is used for stubble-mulch or subsurface
tillage practices.

FIGURE 4.5 Subsoilers

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Subsoil plows are built heavier than the chisel plows, since they are used to penetrate to the soil to
depths of from 20 to 36 inches. The standard on subsoil plows is usually long narrow with a heavy,
wedgelike point.

Generally, the subsoil plow is a heavy-duty tool designed to operate below the normal depth of
tillage and to loosen the soil by lifting or displacement.

Rate of Plowing

The number of acres plowed per day depends upon the width of strip plowed, the rate of travel
(speed), and the length of time operated.

This can be expressed in the following formula:

C = A = SWEff
T 10

Where; C – field capacity (ha/hr); A – area (ha); T – time of operation (hr); S – speed (kph)
W – width of strip plowed (m); Eff – field efficiency (decimal or percent)

Sample Problem: Determine the hectare plowed per hour when a tractor is operating at 6.4 kph
and is pulling four 36-cm mouldboard bottoms at a depth of 20 cm. How many hectares can be
plowed in 10 hrs if field efficiency is 78%? If the soil is clay loam with specific draft of 0.49
kg/cm2 (7 psi), what is the draft required to work the soil? Draft horsepower requirement? Tractor
hp requirement?

Given: S = 6.4 kph ; W = 4 x 36 cm = 144 cm ;

d = 20 cm ; T = 10 hr ; Eff = 78% ; Sp. Draft = 0.49 kg/cm2

Required:
a. hectare plowed per hour
b. area plowed in 10 hrs
c. Draft
d. Draft horsepower
e. Tractor horsepower

Solution:
a. C = SWEff/10 = (6.4)(1.44)(.78)/10 = 0.719 ha/hr
b. C = A/T or A = C x T = 0.719 ha/hr x 10 hr = 7.19 ha
c. Draft = Sp.d x W x d = 0.49 kg/cm2 x 144 cm x 20 cm = 1 411.2 kg
d. Draft horsepower = (Draft x Speed)/274 = (1 411.2 x 6.4)/274 = 32.96 hp
e. Tractor horsepower = 32.96/0.8 = 41.2 hp
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Secondary Tillage. Secondary tillage means stirring of the soil at comparatively shallow depths.
In many cases, secondary tillage follows the deeper-primary tillage operation. It is possible to use
some of the primary-tillage tools to do secondary-tillage operations.

The General Objectives of Secondary Tillage are as Follows:

• To improve the seedbed by greater pulverization of the soil.

• To conserve moisture by summer-fallow operations to kill weeds and reduce evaporation.
• To cut up crop residue and cover crops and mix vegetable matter with the topsoil.
• To break up clods, firm the soil, and put it in the better tilth for seeding and germination
of seeds.
• To destroy weeds on the fallow lands.

Harrow

A harrow is an implement used to level the ground and crush the clods, to stir the soil, and to
prevent and destroy weeds.

FIGURE 4.6 Disk Harrow

Component parts of disk harrows

• Disk. Round, smooth-edge disks are used on most disk harrows. Special harrows are
equipped with disks having a cutaway, notched, or scalloped edge. Where there is much
residue to be cut, cutaway disks are recommended for the disk gangs and round disks for
the rear gangs. Disk blades for harrows range from 16-28 inches in diameter. The 18 – 24
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inches sizes are popular for regular farm use. Heavy duty disk harrows are equipped with
disk ranging from 26 – 28 inches in diameter.
• Disk Gangs. Gangs for disk harrows consists of three to thirteen disk blades assembled
on a long gang bolt. The spacing between disks ranges from 6 – 9 inches for light duty
harrows and from 10 – 12.5 inches for heavy duty harrows. The disk blades are held an
equal apart.
• Harrow Frames
• Bearings
• Bumpers
• Scrapers
• Weight Boxes

FIGURE 4.7 Spike-Tooth Harrows

It is common called a spike tooth harrow because the teeth that stir the soil resemble long spikes.
This harrow is also known as a peg-tooth harrow, a drag harrow, a section harrow and a smoothing
harrow. Its principal use is to smooth and level the soil to a depth of about 2 inches if weighted.

The sections may range in width from 4 – 6 ft and may have 25, 30, or 35 teeth.

Spring Tooth Harrow

The general appearance of a spring tooth harrow is similar to that of the spring-shank chisel plow,
but the harrow tills the soil at a shallow depth. Trailing spring-tooth harrows are available in sizes
ranging from 8 – 36 ft.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Spring-tooth harrows are adapted for use in rough and stony ground. The teeth will penetrate
deeper than those on spike-tooth harrows and they will give when obstructions are suck. The
spring-tooth harrow is frequently advertised as quack-grass and Bermuda-grass eradicator, since
the teeth penetrate deeply and tear out the roots and bring them to the surface.

Planting Equipment

Seeding and planting equipment are used to place the seeds or plant parts into the soil and keep it
from weeds and insect pest and diseases until it is fully grown and ready for harvesting.

Seeders are machine used to place seeds such as corn, rice, etc in the soil.

Planters are machine used to place plant parts such as sugar cane cuttings, rice seedlings, etc in a
prepared soil.

FIGURE 4.6 A Typical Planter

Related Terms

Broadcasting is randomly scattering of seeds on the surface of the field.

Drill Seeding is randomly dropping and covering of seeds in furrow.

Precision Planting is the accurate placing of single seeds at about equal interval in rows.

Hill Dropping is the placing of group of seeds at about equal interval in rows.
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No-Till Planting is a procedure whereby a planting is made directly into an unprepared seedbed
or untilled soil.

Minimum Tillage is the minimum soil manipulation necessary for crop production or for meeting
tillage requirement under existing soil condition.

Functions of Seeder/Planter

• To meter seeds/plant parts of different sizes and shapes.

• To place the seeds/plant parts in the acceptable pattern or distribution in the field.
• To place seeds/plant parts accurately and uniformly at the desired depth and in the soil; and
• To cover the seeds/plant parts optionally and to compact the soil around it to enhance
germination and emergence.

Classification of Planting Equipment

• Row-crop planters
a. Trailing
a1. Drill
a2. Hill-drop
a3. Narrow-row

b. Rear tractor-mounted
b1. Drill
b2. Hill-drop
b3. Transplanters

• Broadcast-crop planters
• Grain drills

Classifications According to Methods of Seeding

• Drills are machines that prepare the soil, meter the seed, and position the seed in one
operation.

• Field Distributors are machines that consist of a seed box with metering device in the
bottom of the hopper, and in no way to prepare the soil for the seed and used as fertilizer
as well as for the seeds.

• Broadcaster are machine that meter the materials onto a revolving flange wheel, lest
expensive to purchase, and has the highest work capacity but is hardest to calibrate because
of uneven distribution from the flange wheel, unequal seed weight, and shape and
difficulties in with wind and uneven soil surface.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

• No-Till Planters are machines that directly place the seeds into undisturbed soil.

• Rice Transplanters are machines that place rice seedling at a proper spacing in a well
prepared paddy soil.

• Rice Drum Seeders are machines that are designed for planting pre-germinated rice seed
in rows so that manually operated mechanical weeder can be used.

Classifications According to the Source of Power

• Manually Operated
• Animal Drawn (single or pair-operated)
• Power Tiller Operated
• Tractor Type (mounted or pull type units)

Basic Parts of Seeder

• Seed Box. It is used to hold and contain the seeds in the seeder.
• Metering Device. It is used to meter the seeds or control the rate of delivery either in bulk
or as single seed into the seed tube.
• Seed Tube. It is used to convey the seeds from the metering device to the rear of a furrow
opener and drop them into the soil.
• Furrow Opener. This is a soil engaging device usd to open a furrow at a desired depth for
placment of the seeds and partially cover them with soil.
• Covering Device. It is used to move the nearby surface soil into the furrow and then cover
the seeds.
• Press Wheel. It is used to compress the soil around the seed in order to create good contact
between the seeds and the soil aggregates for improve germination.
• Ground Wheel. It is used to drive the metering device at a proper rotational speed in order
to attain the required plant spacing.
• Main Frame. It is used to hold and support the various components of the the seeder and to
provide the hitch attachment to the tractor or power tiller.

Factors Affecting the Performance of Seeder/Planter

Seed Related Factors

• Quality of seed
• Method of seed treatment

Soil Related Factors

• Soil bulk density
• Soil porosity
• Soil water
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• Soil temperature
• Specific volume
• Soil cohesion
• Soil airSoil strength

Mechanical Factors
• Seed damage during metering
• Uniformity of depth of placement of seed
• Uniformity of distribution of seed along rows
• Transverse displacement of seed from the row
• Prevention of loose soil getting under the seeds
• Degree of soil compaction level above the seeds
• Uniformity of soil cover over the seeds
• Changes of mixing fertilizer with seed during placement on the furrow.

Number of Hills Planted per Hectare (Nh)

Nh = 10 000 A / ShSr

Where; A – area, (hectare) ; Sh – hill spacing, meter ; Sr – row spacing, (meter)

Sample Problem: Compute the number of hills to be planted with corn seeds on a 100 hectare farm.
The seed spacing is 50 cm while the row spacing is 40 cm.

Solution:
Nh = 10 000 A / ShSr
= 10 000 (100) / (.5 x .4) = 5 000 000 hills

Number of Seed Germinated

Ng= Nh σ/ 100

Where; Ng- number of seed germinated ; σ – percentage germination (%)

Number of Plant Emerged

Ne = Nh ε /100

Where; Ne - number of plant emerged, ε - percentage of emergence,%

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Sample Problem: A 10-hectare farm will be planted with soybean at hill and row spacing of 20 cm
x 30 cm. If the seed has a percentage emergence of 80%, how many plants are expected to emerge
during cropping season?

Solution:

Nh = 10 000 (10)/ (.2 x .3) = 1 666 667 hills

Ne = 1 666 667 x 80 / 1000 = 1 333 333 plants

Cultivation and Weed Equipment

It has been said that the weeds are robbers: they rob the farmer of his profits by reducing yields,
they rob by lowering the quality of the crop, they rob the farmer by harbouring insects that damage
his crop, they rob by reducing the land value, and they may be become so thick that the crop has
to be abandoned, so that they could rob the farmer of his income. Therefore, the farmer must fight
to control weeds with every means he can command. The farmer’s primary tools to control weeds
are:
• cultivation by stirring the soil
• the use of flame
• the use of chemicals
• the laying of plastics over the row (mulching)

Cultivators

Cultivation is an operation that requires some kind of tool that will stir the surface of the soil to a
shallow depth in such a manner that young weeds will be destroyed and crop growth promoted.
After planting, the soil can be cultivated before emergence of the plants for some crops. Cultivation
usually begins soon after emergence of the young crop seedling, as weeds generally emergence
about the same time as the crop.

Flame Weed Control

The use of flame for the control of grass and weeds among row-crop plants is comparatively new
development. The equipment consists of fuel tank, feed lines, control valves, and burners. The
system is mounted on the tractor with skid supports for the burner. Burners are provided for each
side of two to four rows.

Chemical Weed Control

The use of chemical herbicides for the control of weeds in the crops is a relatively new
development. In some broadcast crops, such as wheat and rice, the chemical use is selective. This
means that the chemical will kill the weed and not kill the growing crop plants.
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Spraying Equipment

The problem of controlling insects, pests and plant diseases makes it necessary to have their farm
equipment machines for applying liquid insecticides and fungicides.

Primary Functions of Sprayer

• To break liquid droplets of effective size

• To distribute the droplets uniformly over the surface or space to be protected.
• To regulate the amount of chemical solution in order to avoid excessive application that
might prove harmful or wasteful.

Classifications of Sprayer

• Hand Sprayer
• Compressed air sprayer
• Knapsack sprayer
• Power Sprayer
• Hydraulic or field sprayer
• Hydro-pneumatic sprayer
• Blower sprayer

FIGURE 4.8 Hand Operated Sprayer Parts

Power Sprayer

• These are spraying apparatus that transport or operated with power source such as tractor,
small engine, or electric motor.
• Usually used plunger or piston pumps.
• Usually operates ate a pressure of under 40 kg/cm2.
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FIGURE 4.9 Diagram of a power sprayer

Calibrating Hand-Operated Sprayer

• Prepare the sprayer

• Determine the walking speed
• Determine the width of spray or swath
• Calculate the area sprayed
• Calculate the application rate
• Calculate the liquid herbicides or insecticides to mix in each spryer per load.

Factors Affecting the Rate of Application

• Pressure of the spray tank

• Size of nozzle opening
• Spray swath
• Walking speed

Arranging the variables above into one equation gives:

Ar = 10 000 x Dn
SxW

Where; Ar = application rate (li/ha) ; Dn = nozzle discharge (li/min)

S = speed (m/min) ; W = spray swath (m)

Sample Problem: Walking in the rice field operating the sprayer with a spray swath of 1 m, a
person covers 20 m/min. If the nozzle discharge is 0.4 liter/min, what is the application rate per
hectare?
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Given:
Swath-1 m
Walking speed-20 m/min
Nozzle Discharge-0.4 liter/min

Solution:

Ar = 10 000 x .4 li/min = 200 li/ha

1 m x 20 m/min

Fertilizing Equipment

Fertilizer is required where soils are deficient in plant food elements. When land is plated to crops
over a long period of years, the plant food elements are reduced and yields of crops are lower.

Fertilizer can be applied to all the soil in several forms, such as:

➢ Barnyard manure
➢ Granular and pelleted fertilizer of various formula
➢ Fertilizer in liquid and gaseous form

Special equipment is required for the handling of these types of fertilizers, which are applied to
the soil and crop in various ways at different stages of culture.

For example, barnyard manure is usually broadcast over the land with a manure spreader before
seedbed preparation.

Manure Spreader

The manure spreader is a machine for carrying barnyard manure to the field, shredding it uniformly
over the land. This type of machine should be on every farm that produces several tons of manure
per year. Manure spreader can be classified as ground driven and power-take-off driven.

Harvesting Equipment

Harvesting. It is the process of gathering matured crops that is ready for processing or
consumption.
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Kinds of Harvester

1. Grain Harvester 5. Corn Harvester

2. Sugar Cane Harvester 6. Cotton Harvester
3. Forage Harvester 7. Root Harvester
4. Hay Harvester

Classification of Grain Harvesting Equipment

• Manual Harvesting - using hand tools such as scythe, sickle, and others. Manpower
requirement ranged from 60-80 persons-hr/ha

• Mechanical Harvesting - using power equipment and machineries.

➢ Reaper
➢ Reaper binder
➢ Stripper
➢ Combine
Reaper

They are machine that cuts the panicles and place it on a windrow. They are either power tiller or
tractor operated machine.

FIGURE 4.10 Power Tiller Machine FIGURE 4.11 Tractor Operated Machine

Stripper Harvester

These grain harvesting machines that do not cut the panicle during harvesting operation. Instead it
strip-off the grain from the panicle by combing action.

Combine Harvester

It heads the standing grain, thresh it and clean it as it moves over the field. It eliminates from the
harvest the activity of grain binder, the header, and the stationary thresher as well as the activity
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of stacking and hauling the grains. The combine is well adapted for harvesting small grains,
soybeans, grain sorghum, rice and many others.

FIGURE 4.12 Combine Harvester

Basic Functions of Combine

• Cuts the standing grain

• Feed the cut grain to the cylinder
• Threshing the grain from the stalk or steam
• Separates the grain from the straw
• Cleans the grain by removing the chaff and other foreign matter
• Handling the grain from the combine to the truck

Corn Harvester

It is called as corn picker either a single-or double-row machine equipped with snapping rolls to
remove the ears from the standing stalks.

FIGURE 4.13 Corn Harvester

 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Types of Corn Picker

➢ Snapper. It snaps the ears from the stalk and does not remove the husks.
➢ Picker-Husker. It is equipped with a husker attachment in addition to snapper and also
removes the husk.
➢ Picker-Sheller. It snaps the corn and shell it in the field.

Cotton Harvester

It is called as cotton stripper which harvest cotton by combing action of a rolling picket.

Types of Cotton Stripper

➢ Double Roller. Machine with alternate rows of nylon brush bristles and flexible rubberized
strip. They may be centrally mounted on the tractor or maybe self-propelled.
➢ Multiple Finger or Comb-Type. They are centrally mounted on the tractor or is pulled
behind the tractor

Forage Harvester

They are machine used for gathering silage crops such as grasses or straws for feeds. It performs
harvesting and chopping green row crops consisting of plant-cutting unit and a chopping unit.

Root Harvester

They are machines used to dig and separates the roots of the crop from the soil. The common
applications root harvesters are for potatoes, beets, peanuts, sweet potato, and many others

Threshing Equipment

Threshing. It is the process of detaching the grains from the panicle by means of impact or by
rubbing action.

Methods of Threshing

➢ Manual Threshing
• By the use of a threshing frame, a flail, or by foot trampling

➢ Mechanical Threshing
• by subjecting the grains into a rotating parts of the thresher
• Capacity ranged from 500 to 2000 kg/hr
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

FIGURE 4.14 Pedal-type thresher FIGURE 4.15 Engine-operated thresher

According to the Method of Feeding

➢ Throw-In Type. A mechanical thresher whereby the whole cut plant are fed into the
machine and major portion of the grains is threshed by the initial impact of the bars or
spikes on the cylinder and further threshing is accomplished as the moving panicles hit the
spikes or the bars of the concave.
➢ Hold-On Thresher. A mechanical thresher wherein during the operation, the stalk is held
mechanically by the operator until all the grains are detached from the panicle.

According to the threshing Units

➢ Rasp bar. It is a kind of threshing cylinder wherein equidistant bar-like protrusion in

parallel orientation are laid on the periphery of the cylinder

➢ Wire Loop. It is a kind of threshing cylinder wherein wire loop of the same arch and of
equal sizes are attached around the periphery of the cylinder in tandem arrangement.

➢ Peg-Tooth. It is a kind of threshing cylinder wherein spikes or pegs of equal length are
attached around the periphery of the cylinder in tandem fashion.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

FIGURE 4.16 Basic Components of Mechanical Thresher

➢ Threshing Cylinder. It is the part of the thresher that rotates about the axis equipped with
pegs, rasp bar, or wire loop on its periphery. It is the main parts of the thresher that separates
the grains from the panicle.

➢ Concave. The part of the thresher which encloses the threshing cylinder and allows the
separation of the grains from the panicle.

➢ Lower concave. A semi-circular shape wire mesh or bars covering the lower portion in
which the cylinder rubs and separate the grains from the panicle and through which grain
fall.

➢ Upper Concave. A semi-circular shape top cover of the threshing cylinder consisting of a
metal sheet with louvers and/or grills which assist threshing and axial movement of the
straw.

Factors Affecting Threshing Capacity

➢ Moisture content of the grain

➢ Straw to grain ratio
➢ Length of straw cut
➢ Variety
➢ Operational skill

Factors Affecting the Power Requirement of a Thresher

➢ Feeding Rate
➢ Moisture content of crops
➢ Length of straw or stalks
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Crop Drying Equipment

Drying is the process of removing the excess moisture from the product that is above its
equilibrium moisture content by applying heat from combustible fuel to minimize deterioration or
spoilage.

Related Terms

Dryer. A device for removing excess moisture generally by forced ventilation with or without
addition of heat, to prevent the development of favourable environment for the growth of molds
insects that normally cause spoilage.

➢ Heated-Air Mechanical Dryer. A mechanical dryer used to remove moisture from a

product by blowing artificially heated air until the required moisture content is attained.

➢ Unheated-Air Mechanical Dryer. A mechanical dryer used to remove moisture from a

product by blowing ambient air until the required moisture content is attained.

➢ Flat-Bed Dryer. A batch-type dryer with horizontal holding bin for granular product and
is used for drying at a maximum drying layer thickness of 45 cm.

➢ Vertical-Bin Dryer. A batch-type dryer with vertical holding bin and is used for drying at
the same layer with the flat-bed dryer.

➢ Recirculating-Type Dryer. A batch dryer equipped with conveyors to circulate or mix

granular product during drying operation.

➢ Continuous Flow Dryer. A type of mechanical dryer wherein the granular product is
passed continuously through a drying chamber utilizing agitator until the product reaches
the specified moisture content reduction per pass and subsequent cooling is effected
through the tempering bins before subjecting to another pass.

Advantages of Mechanical Drying

• Drying can be done in a shorter period compared with the natural method by sun drying.
• Drying can be done regardless of the weather condition.
• Programming of farm activities can be more convenient and more profitable.
• More product can be dried per unit space.
• Good quality product can be produced due to controlled drying procedure
• Low labour requirement.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

FIGURE 4.17 Parts of Mechanical Dryer

➢ Burner. It is a device that supplies the needed heat for drying.

➢ Heat Exchanger. It is used to converts heat from the flue gas into clean air. It is used by
the dryer that is heated by indirect method especially those that employs biomass burner.

➢ Fan or Blower. It is used to supply the required amount of air and pressure needed by the
system. A fan may either be an axial, vane-axial, or tube axial. On the other hand a blower
could be either radial, backward, forward-curved, or a mixed flow type.

➢ Drying Chamber. It is where the product undergoes drying process during operation. It
may be inside a bin, a cylinder, a tray, or a cyclone. The product inside the chamber are
allowed to be stationary, mixed, float, or fluidized during the drying process to enhance
drying.

➢ Safety Control Network. This includes accessories such as thermometer, thermostat,

manometer, gas valve, switches and others to monitor and control the conditions during
drying.

➢ Accessories. These includes the conveying equipment, receiving bin, cleaning device,
tempering bins, bagging or packaging, autoweigher and others.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Table 4.1 Maximum Recommended Drying Temperature

Drying Capacity

Cd = Wi / Td

Where; Cd-drying capacity (kg/hr) ; Wi-initial weight (kg); Td-drying time (hr)

Moisture Reduction per Hour

MR = (Wf – Wi)/Td

Where; MR-moisture reduction per hour (kg/hr); Wi-initial weight of the product (kg)
Wf-final weight of the product (kg); Td-drying time (hr)

Rice Milling Equipment

Rice milling is the process of converting paddy to milled rice with outmost care to prevent
breakage of kernel and improve its recovery.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Basic Rice Milling Process

Cleaning. It is the removal of foreign material such as rice straws, stones, weed seeds, etc from
the paddy

Hulling. It is the removal and separation of husk from paddy with minimum damage to the grain.

Milling. It is the process of removing the bran layer from the grain to produce milled rice.

Polishing. It is the process of making the milled rice smooth.

Grading. It is the process of separating rice particles into various sizes.

Bagging. It the placement of milled rice into a sack for market or temporary storage
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Table 4.2 Operation, Equipment and By-product during Milling

Paddy Cleaner

• Cleaner is used to separate undesirable foreign materials from the paddy prior to rice
milling.
• Scalping is the first and most important cleaning operation. It is the removal of larger
particles such as rice straws, chaffs, etc.
• Foreign material during the cleaning process is separated from paddy by using vibrating or
rotating sieves.

Dehusker

➢ Steel-Huller. It combines the dehusking and polishing process in one operation. Husking
is accomplished due to friction between grains and steel parts of the huller which cause the
husk and bran to be scraped off.

➢ Rubber Roll Husker. It consist of two rubber rolls rotating in opposite direction at
different speed. One roll moves slower than the other by 25%. The difference is peripheral
speed causes the shearing action which dehusked the grains.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Paddy Separator

➢ Tray-Type Paddy Separator. It consists of several indented trays mounted one above the
other about 5 cm apart all attached to an oscillating frame. The trays moves up and forward
causing the brown rice and paddy to be separated.

Bran Removal or Whitener

➢ Rice Polisher. This is called pearler or refiner. It is used after whitener to produce a glossy
or highly polished rice. Vertical or horizontal polishers are provided with leather strips and
screens in which under slight pressure cause the rice surface smooth and glossy. This
machine produces few broken grains and its power consumption is 30 to 40% less than the
whiteners.

Grader

• This is a machine use for separating different size of broken rice, bran, and dust.
• Bran and dust particles are separated by air aspiration.
• Small broken and germs are separated by vibratory or rotary sieve.
• Large broken grains are separated by using a rotating indented cylinders or drum graders.

De-Stoner

• This is a machine that separates stones that is of the same size of the rice grain.
• Separation process is accomplished with the difference in the specific gravity and by the
used of forced air.
• It consists of perforated deck mounted at an angle and operated by a reciprocating motion.
The blower is used to force through the deck and stratifies the material according to the
gravity differences which separates the heavy stove from the lighter paddy.

Color Sorter

• This machine is used to separate colour rice grain.

• These are commonly used by large-scale rice milling plant to produce good quality rice.

Auto Weigher and Bagger

• These are machines that automatically measures and place the rice grain is bags. It
operation is controlled by a load cell that activates a surge bin to open and to close when
the required amount of milled rice is ready for bagging.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

Milling Capacity

Cm = Wmr/Tm

Where; Cm-milling capacity (kg/hr); Wmr - weight of milled rice (kg); Tm-milling time (hr)

Milling Recovery

MR = Wmr/ Wp

Where; MR-milling recovery (%); Wmr-weight of milled rice (kg); W-weight of paddy (kg)
Head Rice Recovery

HR = (Whr/ Wmr) x 100

Where; HR-head rice recovery (%); Whr-weight of head rice (kg);

Wmr-weight of milled rice (kg)

Percentage Broken Rice

BR = (WBr/ Wmr) x 100

Where; BR-percentage broken rice (%); WBr-weight of broken rice (kg);

Wmr-weight of milled rice (kg)

Percentage Brewer’s Rice

Br = (Wbr/Wmr) x 100

Where; Br-percentage brewer’s rice (%); Wbr-weight of brewer’s rice (kg)

Wmr-weight of milled rice (kg)
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

EXERCISE 4
FARM MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

Name: __________________________ Score: _________

Section: _________________________ Date: __________

I. ENUMERATION AND IDENTIFICATION

1.) Label the parts of machine/equipment and give their function. Write your answer on the table
below and follow the corresponding letters in naming the parts.

g
e
c
f
b

i
k
h

m
j
l
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

n u

o p t
v

Answers:

MACHINE PARTS FUNCTION

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

h.

i.

j.

k.

l.

m.

n.

o.

p.

q.

r.

s.

t.

u.

v.

2.) Sketch a diagram for rice milling process.

 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

3.) Enumerate the equipment used for rice milling and give their function.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

II. PROBLEM SOLVING. Show all your solutions.

1.) A person weighing 150 pounds runs up a flight of stairs from one floor to the next, a vertical
of 10 feet , in 5 seconds. How much power is developed?

2.) Determine the amount of drawbar horsepower being produced if the tractor is producing 2
300 pounds of pull while travelling at 4.5 mph.

3.) Determine the hectare plowed per hour when a tractor is operating at 8.8 kph and is pulling
35.6 cm mouldboard bottoms at a depth of 14 cm. What will be the total draft in pounds pull, if
there is a draft of 8 psi? How many acres can be plowed in 10 hours when the field efficiency is
78%.
 BASIC FARM MACHINERIES AND MECHANIZATION

4.) What size of nozzles (gal/min) is required for a boom type sprayer to apply 20 gal of spray
per acre? The sprayer has a 24 nozzles spaced 18 inches apart. Speed is 6.5 mph.

5.) Given the following factors, determine the number of seeds per hill.
Plant population = 150,000
Row Spacing = 0.6 m
Average Emergence = 85%
Row spacing = Hill Spacing

6.) A farmer uses a hand tractor with 20 cm mouldboard plow. How many kilometres must he
walk to plow one hectare?