Performance evaluation of farmer invented semi – manual Cassava Harvester

Cassava is a staple food crop of Kerala. Cassava is one of the major and most widely cultivated tuber crops in Thiruvananthapuram District, which covers an area of 12,504 ha (Farm Guide, 2020), accounting for 20.14% of Kerala’s total cultivated area. The major nutrient component of cassava tubers is starch, which constitutes up to about 40% of their composition. The weight of tubers may vary from 3.5 to 6.0 kg under favourable conditions. The number of roots per plant ranges from 2 to 8, with an average length of 250–650 mm and a diameter of 30–60 mm at the time of harvest.

Manual uprooting of cassava using bare hands, with or without the aid of indigenous tools such as a hoe, is commonly practised. However, this method is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often results in high tuber breakage during harvest. Depending on the soil type, the effort required for uprooting increases, which in turn reduces the area harvested per day. Consequently, the profitability of farmers declines due to high labour costs. To address this problem, the semi-manual cassava harvester developed by Jose K. V. and Jose Cheriyan in 2019,  operates on the lever principle, thereby reducing drudgery and improving harvesting efficiency.

The cassava harvester operates on the third-order lever principle. The weight of the equipment is 3.5 kg, and it is constructed using 8 mm spring steel, ensuring both strength and flexibility. The major components of the implement include a handle, fulcrum, and flexible jaw. The cost of the equipment is approximately ₹2,500.

Using the cassava harvester, 50–60 cassava plants can be harvested per hour, compared to only 12–15 plants using the conventional manual method. The main advantages of this small-scale mechanization are significant drudgery reduction and approximately 75% labour savings.

The low cost and simple operating mechanism of the equipment have made it highly popular among farmers in Thiruvananthapuram District.

The following technical parameters were recorded during field demonstrations conducted in various panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram District:

Conclusion

Based on the feedback received from farmers, the semi-manual cassava harvester was found to be highly effective and user-friendly. The major conclusions drawn are as follows:

1. The equipment is easy to handle, enabling even small and marginal farmers to operate it without prior technical training.
2. It requires less physical effort during operation, thereby reducing fatigue and drudgery commonly experienced in manual cassava harvesting.
3. The design of the flexible jaw allows the operator to easily fix the stem between the jaws, ensuring a firm grip and smooth uprooting action.
4. The implement causes minimal tuber breakage, helping to retain the quality and market value of the harvested cassava.
5. It offers high field capacity, allowing farmers to harvest more area within a shorter time compared to traditional methods.
6. The tool is simple in design, light in weight, and has an easy-to-operate mechanism, making it suitable for all categories of users, including women farmers.
7. With a low purchase cost, the equipment is economically viable and affordable, particularly for small and marginal farmers, promoting wider adoption at the field level.

This innovation exemplifies the success of farmer-led technological interventions in reducing drudgery, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving profitability in tuber crop cultivation.

Er. Chithra G. 
Subject Matter Specialist – Agricultural Engineering,
ICAR - Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Mitraniketan, Vellanad, 
Thiruvnanthapuram – 695 543;
E-mail: chithrasharma@gmail.com