Farm Power and Machinery Syllabus – Sixth Semester (BSc. AG)

Course CodeAEN 301
Course TitleFarm Power and Machinery
Credit Hour2 (1+1)
Full Marks50
Theory25
Practical25

Objectives

Upon the completion of this course, the students will be familiar with farm machines and equipment used in farm operations, their working principles and maintenance and upkeep.

Syllabus for Farm Power and Machinery in BSc. Agriculture

Sources of farm power: Scope, availability, and limitations of farm powers; Objectives, Scope and limitations of farm mechanization in Nepal. Assessment of Farm Power Sources in Nepal; Internal combustion engines: Engine types, principles of operation of two-stroke and four-stroke cycle compression ignition (diesel) and spark ignition (petrol) engines. Systems in two-wheel and four-wheel tractor engines- fuel supply, air cleaning, cooling, lubrication; farm tractors and their management:types and suitability of farm tractors in Nepalese agriculture; Tillage and tillage implements:Conservation versus Conventional Tillage. Operation and management of primary tillage implements- Indigenous tillage implement used in Nepal, mould board plows and their components, Disc Ploughs and their components. Operation and management of secondary tillage implements- harrows, cultivators, rotary tillers and rotavator. Special tillage implements and Tool: chisel plow, sub-soiler, ridger and bund former, puddler and leveler; Sowing and planting machines: methods of seeding and planting and metering mechanisms for seed and fertilizer in drills and planters, zero-till, reduced/minimum till drills and planters, potato and sugarcane planters, rice drum seeder and paddy trans-planters; Plant protection equipment: Working Principle and components of sprayers and their types , Safety in handling plant protection machines; Harvesting Machines: Indigenous harvesting tools used in Nepal, Mowers- types, working principle and constructional details, Reapers and Reaper binder- Types, working principle and constructional details; Potato Digger- working principle and constructional details; Selection and Economics of Farm Machines and Equipment: Field capacity and efficiency; Cost of operation of Farm Machines- fixed and variable costs, Feasibility of custom hiring of farm machines and equipment in Nepal.

Course Outline

A. Theory

S.NTopic / Chapter NameNo. of Lectures.
1Sources of farm power: Scope, availability, and limitations of farm powers – human, animal (animal power harnessing system), mechanical, electrical, wind, micro-hydro, biogas, and solar. Objectives, Scope and limitations of farm mechanization in Nepal. Assessment of Farm Power Sources in Nepal.1
2Internal combustion engines: Engine types, principles of operation of two-stroke and four-stroke cycle compression ignition (diesel) and spark ignition (petrol) engines. Components of internal combustion engines and their functions. Systems in two-wheel and four-wheel tractor engines- fuel supply, air cleaning, cooling, lubrication.2
3Farm tractors and their management: Farm tractor types, control systems on tractors; power transmission, clutch and brake, steering, power-take-off, differential, hydraulic, and hitch systems, suitability and tractor selection for Nepalese agriculture2
4Tillage and tillage implements: Definition and Objectives of tillage, Conservation versus Conventional Tillage. Indigenous tillage implement used in Nepal. 1
5Operation and management of primary tillage implements-, mould board plows and their components, Disc Ploughs and their components. Operation and management of secondary tillage implements- harrows, cultivators, rotary tillers and rotavator. Operation of animal and tractor drawn disk harrows, spike tooth harrows and Spike tooth harrow. Special tillage implements and Tool: chisel plow, sub-soiler, ridger and bund former, puddler and leveler2
6Sowing and planting machines: methods of seeding and planting and its type, metering mechanisms for seed and fertilizer in drills and planters, types of furrow openers and covers on seed/seed-cum-fertilizer drills and planters, zero-till, reduced/minimum till drills and planters, potato and sugarcane planters, rice drum seeder and paddy trans-planters 2
7Plant protection equipments: types of sprayers and dusters, Working Principle and components of sprayers, nozzles used on sprayers and their selection, Safety in handling plant protection machines 1
8Harvesting Machines: Indigenous harvesting tools used in Nepal, Mowers- types, working principle and constructional details, Reapers and Reaper binder- Types, working principle and constructional details; Potato Digger- working principle and constructional details1
9Threshing machines: Threshing methods and their mechanization, Types of threshers, their working principles and constructional details, Factors affecting thresher performance. Mize Sheller and its construction detail1
10Combine harvester: Components and working Principle. 1
11Selection and Economics of Farm Machines and Equipment: Field capacity and efficiency, Cost of operation of Farm Machines- fixed and variable costs, Feasibility of custom hiring of farm machines and equipments in Nepal1
Total15

B. practical

S.NTopic / Chapter NameNo. of Practical
1Identification of workshop tools1
2Identification of internal combustion engine components1
3Study of Indigenous tillage tool and mould board plow1
4Study of disk plow and disk harrow1
5Study of rotary tillers and rotavator1
6Study of seed drills and planters- zero-till drill, seed calibration2
7Study of rice drum seeder and transplanter1
8Study of knap-sack sprayers and their operation1
9 Study of power operated reaper1
10Study of maize shellers and paddy or multi-crop threshers1
11Study of external tractor components and controls2
12Study of power tiller controls1
13Tractor and power tiller operation1
Total15

References

Jagdishwar, S. 1981. Elements of Agricultural Machinery. Agro Book Agency, Patna

Michael, A. M. and T. P. Ojha 2009. Principles of Agricultural Engineering (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) Jain Brothers, New Delhi

Nakara, C. P.1980. Farm machines and equipment. Dhanpat Rai and Sons, New Delhi

Srivastava, A. C. 1990. Elements of Farm Machinery. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi

Principle of Farm Machinery, 3rd edition by R.A. Kepner, Roy Bainer and E.L. Barger. C & S Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi

Agricultural Engineering (Through Worked Examples) by Radhey Lal and A.C. Datta. Saroj Publishers, Allahabad

Tractors and their Power Units by J.B. Liljedahl, W.M. Carleton, P.K. Turnquist and D.W. Smith. John Wiley & Sons, New York

Fundamentals of Internal Combustion Engines by Paul W. Gill, James H. Smith Jr. and Eugene J. Ziurys. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Ltd. New Delhi.

Tractors and Their Power Units by J.B. Liljedahl, W.M. Carleton, P.K. Turnquist and D.W. Smith. John Wiley & Sons, New York.

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