Design, development and field evaluation of small agricultural tools and equipment for small farms in western Uttar Pradesh, India
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Small farms in western Uttar Pradesh rely on manual harvesting for vegetables that are picked individually, often using hand plucking or a knife. This study developed and evaluated a lightweight Multi-Purpose Scissor for Agriculture and compared 17 additional tools and methods across key field operations. The scissor weighed 150 g and measured 187.2 mm in overall length. Its serrated blade was designed to aid cutting, while a notched blade helped retain the stalk during cutting; the handle loops were informed by anthropometric data for Indian agricultural workers. Across okra, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, bitter gourd and brinjal, the scissor reduced the Strain Index by 44–69%, bringing scores into the study’s defined safe range for four crops. Output increased by 9–11% for the three gourds, while the brinjal harvesting rate declined by 29%. The tool also avoided the 2–3% produce loss recorded with hand plucking and received favourable ratings from all 30 participating farmers. Comparative trials in two villages of Meerut district showed that a power weeder reduced labour demand from about 167 to 8–10 person-h ha⁻¹. Improved sickles reduced physiological workload during rice harvesting, whereas the brush cutter used for harvesting produced an extremely heavy workload. The findings indicate that small-farm mechanisation should combine appropriate hand tools, small powered implements and shared access to larger machines, with selection based on both field performance and operator workload.
Source: Research Square
Authors: V. P. Chaudhary, Nisha Verma
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225798013