Development and performance test of a mechanical rice weeder attached to a narrow steel-wheeled tractor

Authors

  • Chaiya Jantra Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
  • Watcharachan Sukcharoenvipharat Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
  • Prathuang Usaborisut Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7701-1865
  • Pawin Thanpattranon Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
  • Wanrat Abdullakasim Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i2.8309

Keywords:

mechanical weeder, narrow steel wheel tractor, rice weeding

Abstract

A narrow steel-wheeled tractor was modified from a conventional rubber tire-wheeled tractor to facilitate the attachment of a chemical sprayer for paddy field use. A mechanical rice weeder was designed to attach to the tractor’s three-point hitch system, aiming to minimize environmental impacts. The developed mechanical weeder, 2 m wide×1.2 m long×1 m high, was attached to a narrow steel wheel tractor. It was designed to operate in 30-cm row spacing, working seven rows simultaneously. In the test results from 2, 40, and 60-day-old rice plants, the field capacities were 0.29, 0.29, and 0.35 hm2/h, resulting in 49.88%, 41.83%, and 44.62% field efficiencies, respectively. The weeding efficiencies were 61.36%, 63.68%, and 86.03%, while the average plant damage factors were 10.38%, 7.51%, and 4.85%, respectively. The fuel consumption was 7.02, 7.44, and 7.06 L/hm2, respectively. The slippage of the tractor was relatively high, at 27.33% and 27.12% for the 20- and 40-day-old rice plants, but was reduced to 10.56% after increasing the contact area of the narrow steel wheels for the 60-day-old rice plants. The performance index 1038.41 for the 60-day-old rice plants was the highest, attributed to a higher forward speed, compared to 305.84 for the 20-day-old and 460.33 for the 40-day-old rice plants. Key words: mechanical weeder; narrow steel wheel tractor; rice weeding DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251802.8309 Citation: Jantra C, Sukcharoenvipharat W, Usaborisut P, Thanpattranon P, Abdullakasim W. Development and performance test of a mechanical rice weeder attached to a narrow steel-wheeled tractor. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(2): 165–168.

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Published

2025-04-25

How to Cite

Jantra, C., Sukcharoenvipharat, W., Usaborisut, P., Thanpattranon, P., & Abdullakasim, W. (2025). Development and performance test of a mechanical rice weeder attached to a narrow steel-wheeled tractor. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 18(2), 165–168. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i2.8309

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2025): IJABE

Section

Power and Machinery Systems

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