Study and research of the equipment used for weeding under mango tree

Two types of cultivating machine used for weeding under mango trees were designed and developed. The first type was accomplished by designing some special apparatuses to be attached with two kinds of 5 horsepowers walking type wheelless cultivator. The second type was specially designed and developed walking type wheelless cultivator which consisted of a frame, a power transmission mechanism, a set of unequal number of cultivating blades drum rotor, a set of hoe with an inclined fin welded underneath the hoe point, and finally a 5 horsepowers gasoline engine used as a power unit. It was easy and comfort to operate the machine. The operator gave only slight assistance in controlling the machine to cultivate around a mango tree. Several kinds of test were carried out. Test results showed that the wheelless cultivator which was developed at the National Agricultural Machinery Center using C-blade type rotor has average weeding efficiency 87.43 percent. A HONDA model FA500 which was modified by equipping with special designed apparatuses to facilitate an easy turn around a mango tree and equipped with C-blade type drum rotors resulted in average weeding efficiency 90.48 percent. While 93.31 percent weeding efficiency was achieved if the L-blades type were used. A modified locally made walking type cultivator has 76.85 percent weeding efficiency. Average working speed around a mango tree in second per round of all types was about 20-30 seconds. Slightly more than one minute was required for each tree in continuous operation. Approximately 50 trees could be finished in an hour an 1.1 liters of gasoline was consumed. These cultivators were suitable for high soil moisture condition and could work well in soil with 12-22 percent moisture content. Laboratory test showed that a rotor blades of the locally made cultivator consume 1.82 kilowatts of driven power while the C-blade and L-blade consumed 2.14 and 3.20 kilowatts, respectively. An experiment in chemical weed control was also studied. Test results showed that weed was completely destroyed initially. But four to six weeks later it was recovered while the area which was cultivated by C-blade or L-blade type cultivator was still almost free from weed.