Abstract:
This study was conducted to develop a Power Tiller Operated Rice Combine Harvester (PORCH) for small holder farmers in Tanzania. PORCH can be attached to a power tiller during harvesting operation and detached to give the power tiller a room for other operations. The study aimed at designing, construction and testing performance of PORCH prototype.Design specifications and drawings were developed and prototype was constructed.The performance of PORCH prototype was tested in Lower Moshi and compared to manual harvesting. Comparisons made included manpower required (man-h/acre), harvesting capacity (acre/h), grain loss (%), presence of material other than grain (MOG %) in the harvested grain, and harvesting cost. It was foundthat in PORCH harvesting average values of man-h, harvesting capacity, cost, grain loss and MOG were 4.76 h/acre, 0.42 acre/h, TSh.30151/acre, 28.86% and 3.19% respectively. While the average values of man-h, harvesting capacity, cost, grain loss and MOG for manual harvesting were 255.9 h/acre, 0.0039 acre/h, TSh. 181250/acre, 14.84% and 8.3% respectively. Hence PORCH harvesting was better for all performance measures made except grain loss reduction. More grain loss in PORCH harvesting was due to leakagesin some of PORCH functional elements. Grain loss can be reduced by avoiding leakages in PORCH functional elements. It was recommended in future that modifications should be done so as to alleviateshortcomings in PORCH functional elements.
