"Molding the Future of Metal Industries"
The Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
(PhilMech), is initiating a prototype equipment for design and development for the project entitled “Design and Development of Hand Tractor Attachments (Harvester and Transplanter)” are transplanter-attached handtractor and har vester-attached-handtractor. The concept of developing rice transplanting and harvesting implements that can be readily mounted to and dismounted from the hand tractor unit is a relatively new concept. The availability of such implements will significantly increase further the utilization of hand tractor in farm areas. Moreover, it can potentially reduce the cost of farm level mechanization. The target beneficiaries of this project are the farmers, rice field owners and planters, agri-cooperatives and local
fabricator shops.
Unlike commercially available transplanters and harvesters which are self-propelled and dedicated machines, these mechanisms are integration of a transplanter or harvester to a hand tractor which can be readily disassembled in order for the hand tractor to be usable for other farm operations . The transplanter-attached-handtractor is driven by 7HP diesel engine, with a 6-row planting capacity. Its planting distance is within 20cm to 25cm as required by the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES). Furthermore, it has also adjustable planting depth comparable to commercially available transplanters. The harvester-attached-handtractor is driven by 9HP diesel engine, with target working efficiency of 500m2/hour.
Overall, the transplanter-attached-handtractor and harvester-attached-handtractor offer many operational
and financial benefits. By using these mechanisms, an appropriate, efficient and effective transplanting and harvesting functionalities will be added to plowing, tilling and harrowing, which a hand tractor can perform. This will also address the delayed or longer transplanting and harvesting period and its high labor cost due to lengthy job.
As of December 2013, the transplanter-attached handtractor prototype was completed and field testing wil be conducted in January 2014. The design, prototyping and testing of harvester-attachedhandtractor is also expected to be completed in 2014.
