FABRICATE AND A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A TRACTOR MOUNTED SINGLE ROW CASSAVA PLANTER IN A SYSTEM OF OPERATION

1.0  INTRODUCTION

Cassava is a major staple crop in Nigeria, as cassava and its product are found in daily meals of Nigeria.

Currently, cassava is undergoing a transition from a mere subsistent crop found on the field of peasants to a commercial crop grown in plantations. Cassava is drought tolerant, staple food crop grown in tropics and subtropical areas. Cassava is to African peasant farmers what rice is to Asian farmer or wheat and potatoes are to European farmers (El-Sharkawy, 2003).

Although raw cassava roots contain significant vitamin C, it is well sensitive to eat and easily leaches into water and therefore almost all of the processing techniques seriously affect its content (Julie et al, 2009).

In the subtropical region of southern China, cassava is the fifth largest crop in term of production, after rice, sweet potato, sugar cane and maize. China is also the largest export market for cassava produced in Vietnam and Thailand. Over 60% of cassava production in China is concentrated in a single province, Guangxi, averaging over 7 million tons annually (Frederick, 2008).

Nigeria produces about 54 million metric tons (MT), making her the highest cassava producer in the world, producing a third more than Brazil and almost double the production capacity of Thailand and Indonesia.  Currently more than 248 million tons of cassava was produced worldwide in 2012 of which Africa accounted for 58% (IITA, 2012; FAO, 2013).

Over time, cassava has evolved from being a peasant’s crop to cash crop and industrial crop. Cassava in Nigeria is used for 2 main purposes:- 90% as human food and only 5-10% as secondary industrial material (used mostly as animal feed). Cassava production in Nigeria is increasing every year but Nigeria continues to import starch, flour, sweeteners, that can be made from cassava (Cassava Master Plan, 2006).

1. AIM

To design, Fabricate and run performance evaluation of a tractor mounted single row cassava planter.

1. OBJECTIVES
2. To enhance cassava planting through mechanization across the valve chain.
3. To reduce the time involved in planting.
4. To reduce stress involved in planting
5. To design the machine for effective use on the farmland or field.
6. To promote large scale productivity and also increase income for the farmers.

1.3  PROBLEM STATEMENT

Cassava (Manihot Esculenta) is a very important and valuable crop with numerous or variable uses. The farmers encounter series of problems in planting the cassava, tilling the soil, covering of the soil, inadequate land due to land tenure system, uses of implements like cutlass, hoe etc., all these activities or processes takes much more time of the farmers. That is why faprmers cannot practice cassava production on a large scale of land due to the time consumption and stressful effort to carry the processes out.

1.4  SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The scope of the project is to design, fabricate and a performance evaluation of a tractor mounted single row cassava planter in a system of operation. The machine is applicable to small scale production or operation for cassava processing in rural areas.

The limitation of the project is to plant on one phase row ridges which cannot function more than one hopper and a farmer planting the cassava through the hopper.