Published Paper Details:

Globally, the rank of India in the production of rice is second in the world after China. Rice is the most significant crop in Assam, which accounts for 2.54 million hectares of the overall planted area of 4.16 million ha. Early harvesting could open up opportunities for extra revenues through farming of short duration vegetable crops in the gap between two major crops i.e. paddy and wheat. The use of mechanized power for agriculture purpose reduces not just the hardship faced by the farmers under traditional manual practices but also speeds up agricultural processes, saves cost and enhances agricultural productivity. Various types of paddy harvesters are already available in market which are bulky and are costly. Considering the topographical scenario of paddy farms in Jorhat district of Assam, the performance of self-propelled reaper cum binder was evaluated. The cutting width was found to be 1828.8mm, with fuel consumption 3-4.5 l/ha, and the working efficiency was found to be 4046.86 m2/h. The Effective working width is 620mm, effective field capacity as 0.0823ha/h and the field efficiency as 99.15%. The machine was found suitable to be used in Assam condition considering the moisture present during the harvesting of paddy.