Development of a Ride-On 2-Bottom Mouldboard Plough for Primary Tillage

Background and Objective: Most single-sided mouldboard ploughs have challenges of needless empty turns and reduced ploughing efficiency. This requires a more efficient plough with reduced empty turns. The study aimed to develop a ride-on 2-bottom MB plough with seating and hydraulic lift jack attachments. Materials and Methods: The equipment consists of two major parts: The prime mover (power-tiller) and the accompanying implements, which include, the implement carrier, operator seat, the hydraulic jack pump and two mould board plough units. The machine was developed and fabricated based on standard engineering principles for part-sizing and materials selection. The machine was tested and the performance was evaluated using descriptive statistics. Results: The developed machine is dynamically stable and ergonomically suitable for operator comfort and manoeuvrability during field operation. The measured average cutting depth, width and speed parameters are 14.84, 24.56 cm and 3.48 km h^-1, respectively. The evaluated average field efficiency and theoretical field capacity are 88.23% and 0.096 ha hr^-1, respectively. The equipment is appropriate for small-scale farmers. Conclusion: A ride-on plough was successfully designed, constructed and tested for functionality and field performance. The cost implications showed that the machine is economically affordable for low-income farmers who could purchase the power tiller through joint ownership ventures.