Techno Economic Evaluation of Different Types of Power Weeder in Chhattisgarh Region

Abstract

Effective weed management is crucial in contemporary farming practices. As consumers increasingly demand high-quality, safe food products, there is a growing need for non-chemical approaches to weed control in agriculture. This shift has prompted the creation and implementation of alternative weed management techniques that reduce reliance on synthetic herbicides. Among various weeding methods, mechanical approaches are often preferred due to their timeliness, safety, reduced labour, and cost-effectiveness. In Chhattisgarh, where farm sizes per hectare per capita are diminishing over time, it is essential to develop and assess suitable mechanised weeding techniques to address farmers' needs. Hence, a study was done to examine the performance of different types of power weeder viz., power weeder 52 cc (W1), power weeder 67 cc (W2), sidepack brush cutter power weeder (W3), backpack brush cutter power weeder (W4) and solar power cum electric operated (W5) weeder were evaluated for weeding in selected crop fields i.e., mustard, cauliflower and cucumber. The findings indicated that among the power weeders, W5 achieved the highest weeding efficiency (88.6%) in mustard crops, while W1 demonstrated the lowest efficiency (73.8%) in cauliflower crops. The average plant damage percent of power weeders W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5 were found to be 1.33 %, 1.43 %, 1.33 %, 1.55 %, and 1.58 %, respectively. The highest plant damage was obtained in W5 and lowest seen in weeder W1 and W3. The weeder W5 had the highest effective field capacity of 0.042 ha/h, while weeder W1 had the lowest effective field capacity of 0.030 ha/h. The field efficiency of weeders in three different crop fields was found to be highest in Weeder W3 (85 %) and lowest in Weeder W1 (79.3 %). The performance index of solar power cum electric operated weeders was found to be the highest (357), while the power weeder 67 cc had the lowest value (95). The initial cost of weeder W5 is highest compared to other weeders. However, variable cost of weeder W5 is low as compared to other selected power weeders. The total operational cost (Rs/ha) of power weeder W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5 are 2744.1 Rs/ha, 2611.3 Rs/ha, 2513.9 Rs/ha, 2450.8 Rs/ha and 952.5 Rs/ha respectively. The required total operational energy of weeder W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5 are 1643 MJ/ha, 2083 MJ/ha, 1137 MJ/ha, 983 MJ/ha and 3685 MJ/ha. The highest energy required for weeding was observed in weeder W5 and lowest was obtained in W4.