DESIGN, FABRICATION AND TESTING OF A MOTORCYCLE DRAWN FERTILIZER BROADCASTER

Abstract

This study was conducted to design and fabricate a motorcycle drawn fertilizer broadcaster, as well as to test its performance. Fundamental design analysis and calculations were carried out in order to determine and select materials of appropriate strength and sizes for the machine component parts. The major machine parts include hopper, agitator, fertilizer spreading disc, feed control mechanism, 3-point hitch to the motorcycle, shaft, fertilizer flow control unit, wheel, spreader disc, gear box, upper arm and lower arms and frame. Test results of the equipment using NPK and superphosphate fertilizers mixed in the ratio of 5:6 to give total of 7.3 kg reveal that the highest quantity of fertilizer delivered and application rate of 7.23 kg and 325.68 kg/Ha respectively were obtained from speed of 5 km/hr and respectively 3.12 kg and 139.64 kg/ha from speed of 20 km/hr. The quantity of fertilizer delivered, application rate and delivery efficiency all decreased with increase in the equipment forward speed. An operating speed of 15 km/hr which gave an application rate of 250.02 kg per hectres was recommended as application rate for rice plant. The development of this equipment will overcome some challenges associated with manual application of fertilizers.