Design and Prototyping of Teff (ጤፍ) Row Planter and Fertilizer Applier

Abstract

Teff is one of the most grown crops and a preferable food in Ethiopia. Wholesale prices for Teff are relatively high, making the crop attractive to some producers as a cash crop, production costs are also high, implying fertilizer prices and the labor-intensive nature of the crop. Now a daysteff got attention of international market. But, productivity yields are relatively low (around 1.2 tones/ha) and suffer from high loss rates (25-30% both before and after harvest). Respective bodies tried to take different actions to improve the productivity of teff. It has been argued recently that low teff productivity is partly caused by the way farmers sow teff seed; broadcasting teff seed by hand using a rate of 25–50 kg per hectare. Researchers approved reducing the seed rate to between 2.5 and 3 kg per hectare by row planting allows for reduced competition between seedlings and optimal tillering of the teff plants. This study was aimed to design and prototyping of teff row planter and fertilizer applier. It will improve productivity of teff and reduces cost of teff production process. Literature review and visiting of existing teff row planter machines, conceptual and embodiment design procedures, modeling machine components by solid work software, manufacturing the components and assembling of machine in Debre Berhan university manufacturing workshop, testing the applicability of machine on farm were used as methodology. The metering of teff and the locomotion mechanism of the machine has given more emphasis through the design and manufacturing process. The researchers designed ten rows planter. Due to lack of appropriate manufacturing machine and material, actually obtained a machine which can plant six rows in one trip. For better result and applicability, components should produce with appropriate machine and from appropriate material. some shaking mechanism also recommended for better performance.