6 research outputs found
Design Development and Performance Evaluation of Solar Operated Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) Pruner
No full textPigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is a vital grain legume known for its contribution to food security and soil fertility. However, pruning, which enhances plant architecture and yield, remains a significant challenge in its cultivation, especially in large-scale operations. Manual pruning is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly, which has led to the need for mechanized alternatives, a solar-operated pruner was developed at IGKV, Raipur, to reduce labour, time, and costs. This study focuses on the design, development, and performance evaluation of a solar-operated pruner tailored specifically for pigeon pea. The pruner integrates key components such as a cutting blade, DC motor, solar panel, battery, and charge controller. A 12 V DC motor, generating 10.53 N of force and operating at 8500 RPM, ensures efficient pruning. The motor is powered by a 7.2 Ah battery, which can be charged in 4 hours using an AC adaptor or 8 hours via a 10 W solar panel. The battery allows for 4-6 hours of continuous operation. The pruner\u27s lightweight PVC frame makes it portable and user-friendly, while the protective blade guard ensures operator safety. Performance evaluation of the pruner indicated a field efficiency of 81% and pruning efficiency of 76%. The actual field capacity was measured at 0.097 ha/h, with a walking speed of 1.2 km/h. Losses due to half-cut stems were calculated at 9.04%. The pruner demonstrated its ability to reduce labor costs, improve pruning efficiency, and promote sustainable agriculture through its solar-powered operation. This study highlights the economic and environmental benefits of adopting solar-operated pruners for pigeon pea cultivation
Performance Evaluation of Groundnut Digger in Chhattisgarh, India
No full textGroundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), is a significant oilseed crop. It is grown in Chhattisgarh during rabi and kharif seasons, with traditional manual harvesting being labor-intensive and costly. To enhance efficiency, a study evaluated a tractor-operated groundnut digger in Chhattisgarh, focusing on factors such as crop size, shape, depth, spacing, and soil parameters like bulk density, true density, and moisture content. Performance metrics included exposed pod loss, buried pod loss, damaged pod loss, total pod loss, field efficiency, and digging efficiency. In this study found that at a 30° rake angle and 3.5 km h-1 speed, the maximum buried pod loss was 7.37%, exposed pod loss was 9.89%, and total pod loss was 23.79%. Conversely, the digger achieved a high digging efficiency of 96.92% with a 25° rake angle and 2 km h-1 speed. The operational cost was 972.57 Rs h-1, with a breakeven point of 100.42 hours per year and a payback period of 0.91 years. Compared to manual harvesting, which costs 37.5 Rs h-1, the tractor-operated digger significantly reduces time and costs, offering substantial improvements in harvesting efficiency
Leadership, Vision, Strategy, and the Art of Publishing in India: An Interview With the Legendary Tejeshwar Singh of Sage Publications (India)
No full textGuru Prakash Prabhakar, Pankaj Saran and Joyce Liddle L. , author
Multi-detector computed tomography imaging of large airway pathology: A pictorial review
No full textLosing its ground: a case study of fast declining populations of a ‘least-concern’ species, the bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata)
No full textThe populations of many species that are widespread and commensal with humans have been drastically declining during the past few decades, but little attention has been paid to their conservation. Here, we report the status of the bonnet macaque, a species that is considered ‘least-concern’ for conservation. We show that the widely ranging rhesus macaque is expanding its range into the distributional range of the bonnet macaque, a species endemic only to southern India. Bonnet macaques have very low abundance in forests of all types indicating that it is not a typically forest dwelling species. The traditionally preferred habitats of bonnet macaques have been Hindu temples/ tourist spots but our data reveal that nearly 50% population of bonnet macaques has disappeared from such previously occupied spots. Another preferred habitat of bonnet macaques has been roadsides with abundant Ficus trees adjoining croplands. We found that between 2003 and 2015, the roadsides have drastically changed where vegetation has been replaced with barren lands and urbanization. Consequently, the populations of bonnet macaques have declined by more than 65% over the past 25 years, and by more than 50% between 2003 and 2015 alone. We, therefore, conclude that this ‘least-concern’ species is actually facing serious conservation challenges. We also identify a few places such as small hillocks with natural vegetation and a few temples/tourist spots which are likely to remain stable and thus can serve as ‘bonnet macaque conservation reserves’. Since the bonnet macaque shares many traits with several other commensal and ‘low-risk’ species, it can serve as a model for the development of long-term conservation strategies for most such species
