Development of Safety Attachment for Coconut Climbing Device

Climbing to coconut palm is essential for harvesting, cleaning, pollination and other research related activities. It is a very hazardous, tedious and risky task to climb on single stemmed 30 m or above having feather like leaves. This study is carried out to know the status of coconut climbing devices and to improve the most popular one used for this purpose to make it more users friendly. A broad review of literature of climbing devices pertaining to manual, self-propelled, tractor operated and robotic categories was made, interacted manufacturers, workers, farmers in coconut growing areas. A few climbing devices having potential were identified and evaluated in the field. Pedal type climbing device was found most suitable, faster, cheaper and easy to transport. But lack of safety was found a big hurdle in the adoption of this device by the new comers. A safety attachment was introduced by Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal in collaboration with Central Plantation Crop Research Institute, Kasaragod. This intervention has provided a great opportunity for the workers who want to adopt climbing as a profession but not having experience of traditional harvesting or climbing and having height phobia. This safety attachment also eliminates the risk of falling down. This safety features will attract more youngsters towards adoption of coconut climbing as a profession for earning their livelihood and will also solve the problem of scarcity of traditional climber.