Performance evaluation of a tillage multi-purpose farm tool on three different soils

Abstract

Tillage operations cannot be understated in agricultural practices, thus the need to evaluate the performance of a tillage multi-purpose farm tool. The goal of this research was to investigate the speed, efficiency, and cost implications of a tillage multi-purpose farm tool, when used for ploughing, weeding, and leveling, on three different soils. These three (3) operations were performed on loamy, sandy, and clay soils; physical and digital observations were used to collect data, which was then statistically analyzed using ANOVA. During weeding operations, the multi-purpose tool had a mean speed of 0.028m/s, 0.022m/s, and 0.018m/s and an efficiency of 90.4 %, 80.8 %, and 78 % on loamy, sandy, and clay soil, respectively. When comparing the multipurpose tool during ploughing operations, the machine had a mean speed of 0.028m/s, 0.022m/s, and 0.019m/s, with an efficiency of 82.4 %, 75.6 %, and 68.8 % on loamy, sandy, and clay soil, respectively, while when comparing the multipurpose tool during leveling operations, the machine had a mean speed of 0.050m/s, 0.041m/s, and 0m/s. When the machine was used on each of the three different soils, statistical analysis revealed that the effect of efficiency and speed were both significant. The cost of using the tool was 2,000 per hour, which is significantly less than the  5,000 per hour charge for crude manual labor. The efficiencies are considered adequate for this study and can be improved with additional research. The results obtained, as well as the ease of use of this device, indicate that it is more suitable and cost-effective for gardening than the crude hand methods.