Design, development and performance evaluation of henna harvester

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Mechanization
• Crop Harvesting Technology

Background:

• Manual henna harvesting is labor-intensive, costly, and poses health risks.
• There is a need for mechanization to improve efficiency and reduce farmer burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, develop, and evaluate a mechanized henna harvester.
• To address the challenges of traditional manual harvesting methods.

Main Methods:

• A prototype harvester with circular saw blades was designed.
• Field evaluations assessed harvesting efficiency, shattering losses, and field capacity.
• Performance was analyzed at varying forward and blade speeds.

Main Results:

• Optimal performance achieved at 1200 rpm blade speed and 2.1 km/h forward speed.
• Harvesting efficiency reached 86.32% with minimal shattering losses (2.14%).
• Field capacity was 0.22 ha/h, with operational costs reduced by 80% (277 Rs/ha).

Conclusions:

• The mechanized henna harvester is a viable solution for efficient harvesting.
• It significantly reduces labor challenges and operational costs for henna farmers.
• The technology offers substantial economic benefits, improving livelihoods in the henna industry.