Program shot at RMUTT (agricultural news)
28/03/2011
Nursery demonstration shool’s certificates given
28/03/2011
Nowadays, it is seen that agricultural labors is moving to industry more. This causes the rapid decrease in agricultural labors so the wage is higher. However, it’s not enough if compared to the demand, accordingly machines are needed.
However, machines from overseas are really expensive so the retail farmers who have not much capital could not afford them for their business. For example, sugarcane which is the significant economic plant because its high price causes the incentive in growing sugar canes. Sugarcane at the present time still requires a lot of human labors in growing, caring and harvesting before selling to the sugar factory.
With this reason, students from Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) consisting of Mr. Kritboon Choompok, Miss Jiranan Nimmanwarodom and Miss Wannisa Lomathon have an idea to develop sugarcane harvesting tractors with lower cost and become successful. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rung-rueng Karnsirisin is the advisor for the whole project.
The inventors said that there are 2 methods in harvesting sugarcanes at present which are using human labors and using machines. The study found that harvesting sugarcanes by labor (burning sugar canes) benefits in terms of harvesting convenience and accident reduction, but the disadvantages still exist that are percent of sweetness decreases reflecting to cutting prices from factory and it’s also risky that fire may spread to near fields if the fire-preventing barriers are not well built.
Harvesting sugarcane without combustion brings advantages that are the percent of sweetness price will not be cut and reduce the evaporation of soil moisture too. But the disadvantages are harvesting inconvenience and accidents likely to happen. When study deeper into the details found that harvesting by human labors takes long time, wages are high (13 trunks in 1 bunch, 1 baht per each bunch), labors are shortage, and wages must be paid in advance.
On the other hand, the limit of using human labor exists a lot, compared to the imported expensive machines, because it’s not worth investing. As a result, a model harvesting car was invented with low costs of production to help farmers.
The inventors said that harvesting tractor is composed of treetop cutting set working with hydraulic system, lump cutting set, root cutting set, sugarcane front set transport system attached with rubber, and back set transport system. The test and assessment found that the model tractor has the speed 3.8 km/hr. Fuel consumption is at 20.87 liter/hector.
However, the inventors also said that this sugarcane harvesting tractor is just a model. We expect to develop its efficiency to be better for farmers’ demands in the future.
Translated by Mr. Amondech Inkaew
