Drudgery-reducing implements for farm women

Women do many of the most difficult farm tasks in India. Transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and post-harvest processing of produce. All of these tasks are time-consuming and full of drudgery. Below are some improved implements and machinery which can help reduce drudgery and physical exertion

Weeding implements

Dryland weeder

This peg-type weeder is excellent for row crops on sandy and loamy soils. It can be operated easily by one person. When the weeder is pushed forward, the drum rotates through the soil and the curved blade cuts the roots of weeds. The weeder has a working width of 15 cm and can weed about 0.025 ha/hr.

Multipurpose weeder

This multipurpose weeder is especially useful on hilly terrain. The weeder's cutting edge can cut small bushes and the curved blade can be used for weeding between crop plants. Its designer says this veeder reducer drudgery by 25 to 30 percent compared to traditional hand hoeing on terraced or sloping land.

Rotary paddy weeder

This manual weeder is effective for light weeding in paddy fields. It can be operated easily by one person. The weeder is pushed and pulled, forward and back, continuously between paddy rows. The rotating blades go below the surface to cut and turn up weeds. It can weed about 0.025 ha/hr. This rotary weeder can be made using local skills and local materials.

Draw weeder

This weeder is best suited to dry areas. It consists of a toothed, double-edged blade attached to a long handle. The sharp-toothed blade cuts weeds just below the soil surface.

Draw weeder

V-blade hand hoe

This tool, designed for light weeding, consists of a long wooden or bamboo handle joined to a sharpened, V-shaped blade. The blade cuts through soil, cutting weeds just below the soil surface.

V-blade hand hoe

Post-harvest Implements

Tubular hand-held maize sheller

This tubular sheller consists of a 7-cm length o steel pipe, 6.25 cm in diameter, with four tapered fins of light sheet metal fitted inside. A, one end the space between fin tips is 26.5 mm, while at the other, the space is 39 mm. To operate, hold the sheller in one hand and insert a dry cob with the other hand. Twist them in opposite directions. The fins detach corn kernels from the cob at the rate of about 20 kg per hour.

Tubular hand-held maize sheller

Comb-type groundnut stripper

This manually operated machine detaches pods from groundnut vines. The machine consists of a rectangular frame with vertical pegs and a horizontal strip of expanded metal (used in wire fences) fixed on each side in the shape of a comb. Handfuls of groundnut vines are pulled across the comb with force. This strips pods from the vines at a rate of 200-300 kg of pods per hour, with four people working at the same time.

Drum-type groundnut stripper

This stripper removes groundnut pods from green vines. It can be operated easily by one person and is quite effective in minimizing postharvest losses. The device consists of a hollow drum constructed from two metal disks connected by metal rods covered by rubber tubing. The operator cranks the drum handle and beats the groundnut vines on the rotating drum rods. A framed canvas hood keeps pods from scattering. (Canvas hood not shown in illustration at left.)

Revolving drum

Hand-operated grain cleaner

Used for removing foreign matter from Bengal gram, wheat, and soybean. This device consists of two metal screens in a frame suspended by rope. About 10 kg of grain is fed into the sieve and the cradle-like cleaner is swung briskly back and forth. Grains fall through the screen but debris remains. The cleaned grain is sieved again to remove finer debris.

Hand-operated grain cleaner

Caution

Suspend the cleaner from a sturdy tripod or beam.

Harvesting implements

Naveen sickle

This sickle is best suited for harvesting wheat and rice crops. It has a wooden handle with a special hand grip shaped to make harvesting easier. The sickle blade, made of serrated carbon steel, is riveted to a 12-mm wide, Ushaped strip which is fixed to the handle. Ten women using naveen sickles can harvest I ha in 1 0 hours.

Khurpa-cum-sickle

The khurpa-cum-sickle is a weeder, a hoe, and cutter all in one. The blade is made of carbon steel sheet. The front edge is used for weeding and hoeing, while the side edge is cured and serrated to cut like a sickle. The serrated edge has a cured length of 12 cm, which is about 60 percent of the length of a normal sickle. The handle is made of seasoned seesam wood. The tool weighs 300 g, light enough for continuous use.

Sources of drudgery-reducing implements

Meghalaya, India
Rotary paddy weeder
M.P. State Department of Agriculture
Putligarh
Bhopal 462001
Madhya Pradesh, India

Source: Centre of Science for Villages, Wardha, Dr. H. S. Biswas, and Dr. M. M. Pandey