DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED SOYBEAN THRESHER

Abstract

Manual Soybean threshing is labour intensive and prone to wastage and contamination. A soyabean thresher was designed, constructed and tested. The effects of moisture levels (12.35, 16.52, 20.32, 23.78 and 26.96%) and machine speeds (900, 1200 and 1500 rpm) were investigated on threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, percentage grain loss, threshing recovery, throughput capacity, mechanical damage index and threshing performance index. The highest values of 99.60%, 90.80%, 97.70%, 70.38 kg/h and 92.34% were obtained for threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, threshing recovery, throughput capacity and threshing performance index, respectively. Whereas the minimum values of 0.12% and 0.42% were obtained for percentage grain loss and mechanical damage index, respectively. At both 1200 rpm and 1500 rpm speeds, the throughput capacity increased as the moisture content increased up to moisture level of 24%. However, at speed of 900 rpm, the throughput capacity decreased as the moisture content increased. Hence, this thresher would help to ameliorate the stress usually experienced by farmers during manual threshing of soyabean and increase production, thus improving the economic standard of the producer.