Agricultural Engineering Today
Year : 2010, Volume : 34, Issue : 3
First page : ( 31) Last page : ( 36)
Print ISSN : 0970-2962. Online ISSN : 2230-7265.

Ergonomical Evaluation of Cono-Weeder with Farm Women

Singh S P

Sub-centre of Directorate of Research on Women in Agriculture, CIAE Campus, Nabi Bagh, Bhopal-462038 E-mail: singhsp65@gmail.com

Abstract

Interculture/weeding operation in paddy crop is very important operation which is done mostly in humid environment under scorchy heat. Farm worker used to uproot the weeds by hand in bending position that might affect their health. As known that weeds in upland rice field comes more easily than low land rice. A cono-weeder was ergonomically evaluated with 10 farm women at CIAE, Bhopal in upland rice field for transplanted rice by transplanter. The mean heart rate of women workers during work was 153 beats/min and work pulse was 70 beats/min. Higher heart rate may be due to non-performance of both cones of equipment which might need more force in the operation. The estimated oxygen consumption rate was 1.0642 l/min that is 64.7% of their aerobic capacity (VO_2max). Higher average heart rate of worker in operation of this equipment suggests for use of equipment in small area with adequate rest pause to the worker. It is also suggested based on experiment that two workers may be engaged in shift for day long work with the equipment. The area covered was 165 m²/h. Average metabolic efficiency of worker was 9.18%. If only one worker is engaged for the interculture/weeding operation with this equipment, 12–13 min rest could be provided. The equipment could be promoted after refinement for use by farm women.

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Keywords

Cono weeder, Ergonomics, Interculture, Weeding, Paddy.

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