Development and Performance Evaluation of Three Row Floating Type Weeder for Small Rice Farms

Weed management is one of the major challenges in agriculture practices. Mechanical weed control has emerged as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to the labour-intensive practice of manual weeding. However, the evolving demands of the agricultural sector, particularly in terms of food safety and consumer preferences have led to the need for more efficient weed control methods. A power-operated three-row floating type weeder for rice field was designed and developed. The machine was powered by 1.3 kW petrol engine and consisted of a power transmission system, handle assembly, two drive weeding rollers, one driven weeding roller and coulters. Field evaluations were conducted at three forward speeds (1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 km h^-1) and three water levels (10, 20, and 30 mm) to assess operational performance. Results revealed that the maximum weeding efficiency (92%) was achieved at forward speed of 1.0 km h^-1 with a water level of 30 mm, while the highest field capacity (0.085 ha h^-1) was recorded at 1.4 km h^-1 under the same condition. The lowest plant damage (1.5%) occurred at 1.4 km h^-1 and water level of 10 mm. However, when all three performance indicators of weeding efficiency, field capacity and plant damage were considered together, the combination of 1.2 km h^-1 forward speed and 30 mm water level was found to provide the best overall operational performance with weeding efficiency of 91%, field capacity of 0.082 ha h^-1 and plant damage of 1.15%. Therefore, this combination is recommended as the optimum operating condition for the developed floating weeder. Overall, the developed weeder exhibited efficient performance, minimum operator drudgery, and proved suitable for small- and medium-scale wetland paddy cultivation.