Ergonomic Evaluation of Farm Women through Improved Serrated Sickle for Harvesting in Wheat

The study was carried out at village Lasudawan and Changli, under the adopted cluster area of KVK Mandsaur (M.P.), in rabi season (2009–2010, 2010–2011) to determine the physical fitness, time and activity profile and physiological stress of Farm women at the time of harvesting of wheat activity. Use of improved serrated sickle '§Naveen'¨ was compared to traditional sickle was tested on farm women to improve work efficiency and to reduce the drudgery of women. The results revealed that 24.56% of working efficiency was increased by using improved serrated sickle as each farm women harvested and bundled an average of 56 bundles by using serrated sickle while only average of 41 of wheat was harvested and bundled through local sickle. Physiological stress revealed that output recorded by improved serrated sickle was average of 51.03 m²/h as compared to local serrated sickle by which 37.52 m²/h area was harvested. During harvesting with local sickle, the average ΔHR was 33.93 beats/min and energy expenditure was 12.33 kJ/s while by improved serrated sickle, it was recorded as 17.46 beats/min and 8.40 kJ/s. The average cardiac cost of work (CCW) was 55.41 beats/m² local sickle while 20.51 beats/m² by improved serrated sickle. So the serrated sickle saves 35% cardiac cost of worker per unit of output and increases efficiency 36.63%. Use of improved sickle requires less effort for cutting and reduces the drudgery in farm women compared to local sickle for harvesting wheat crop.