Muscle fatigue assessment using surface electromyography in farm operations performed in protected cultivation

Srinidhi G ^1,2, K N Agrawal ³, Sweeti Kumari ⁴

⁰Agricultural Mechanization Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India. reddysrinidhig1997@gmail.com.

Scientific Reports +

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September 30, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Improved tools in protected cultivation significantly reduce muscle fatigue for agricultural workers. Using advanced machinery lowers muscular load, enhancing worker safety and productivity compared to traditional methods.

Area Of Science

Agricultural Engineering
Ergonomics
Occupational Health

Background

Agricultural operations like digging, transplanting, and weeding in protected cultivation involve postures leading to muscle exertion and potential musculoskeletal disorders.
Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a validated method for quantifying muscle fatigue during manual labor.

Purpose Of The Study

To evaluate and compare muscle fatigue levels in male and female agricultural workers using traditional versus improved tools for protected cultivation tasks.
To assess the impact of ergonomic tool design on reducing muscular load and enhancing worker safety.

Main Methods

Twelve workers (6 male, 6 female) performed digging, transplanting, and weeding in a polyhouse using traditional and improved tools.
Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure muscle fatigue in selected muscle groups (brachioradialis, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, anterior deltoid, erector spinae longissimus, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius).
Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) was assessed to establish baseline muscle activity levels.

Main Results

Workers using traditional tools exhibited significant muscle fatigue, particularly in the biceps femoris and erector spinae longissimus during digging and transplanting.
Female workers showed higher fatigue percentages than male workers with traditional tools for most operations.
The use of improved tools (mini power tiller, cycle hoe weeder, single row vegetable transplanter) resulted in a notable decrease in muscle fatigue across all tested muscle groups for both genders.

Conclusions

Improved tools and machinery significantly reduce muscular load and muscle fatigue in agricultural operations within protected cultivation environments.
Adoption of ergonomic tools is crucial for mitigating work-related musculoskeletal disorders and improving the overall well-being and productivity of agricultural workers.

Keywords:

Muscle Muscular fatigue assessment Occupational health Protected cultivation Surface EMG

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