Background:
One prime-mover for different farm operations like tillage, rototilling, sowing, spraying and weeding for small size farms is not available. One engine and multi operations with affordable price for small and marginal farmers is the novelty of the innovation. :
Technology Details:
India’s small holding farmers owning less than 1 ha of farm land comprise about than 86 % of total land holdings. The large size equipment and prime movers are neither technically suitable nor economically affordable for small farms. This category of farmers require efficient powered equipment with a single prime mover to mechanize for different operations on small farm for increasing efficiency through precision technology, reduce cost of operation, removal of drudgery and assigning dignity to farming. Currently available small farm equipment are mostly walk behind type, can perform 2-3 operations and the equipment operation in these is completely different from those of tractor operated equipment. A three-wheel integral power equipment (mini-tractor) was developed to overcome the limitations (walk behind, difficult to steer, single operation, less traction of existing equipment) for small farm mechanization. The Integral Power Equipment is in single chassis, has better stability and steerablity, less turning radius, with hydraulic depth control system for tillage equipment and can perform multiple operations. The Integral Power Equipment is operated with an 8 hp engine. Power transmission designed in a way to have 2-WD as well as PTO power for rotary equipment. The powered Integral Equipment having steering and hydraulic mechanism like tractor and it consumes less energy (8 hp engine) compared with tractor. It also performs different field operations i.e. shallow ploughing, interculturing, weeding, sowing, rototilling, and irrigation water pumping.