Design and construction of a manually operated multi-crop weeder.

Abstract

The proposed study covers the design and construction of a multi-crop manually operated weeder, testing of the prototype of the machine that will be designed and the economic evaluation of the prototype. This study was aimed at developing a weeder that enables the small holder farmers to improve on their yield productivity and reduce drudgery, crop damage and its gender sensitive which are associated with the use of hand hoes and animal draft technologies thus enhancing the country's food security status. The crops to be considered in this study include groundnuts, maize and cassava. Chapter one of this report presents the background to the study which highlights the problem of the study and the importance of solving the problem through the design. a multi-crop manually operated weeder which will reduce on human drudgery, consider gender and reducing on crop damage. Chapter one also presents the objectives and scope of the study as well as the likely benefits of the study to the rural smallholder fanners and the country at large. An intensive literature review relating to the considered crop varieties, various weeding technologies and an economic evaluation of the existing technologies is provided. The advantages and disadvantages of the existing designs of weeding technologies are also clearly outlined in this chapter. The methods that will be used to undertake the study are presented in the methodology. The methodology includes the procedures for design of the different components of a multi-crop weeder, construction of the prototype of the designed multi-crop weeder. testing of the prototype and economic evaluation of the prototype so as to ascertain affordability by the smallholder farmers. The expected outcome of the study is specified in chapter four as a multi-crop weeder for effective removal of weeds from groundnuts, cassava and maize crops.