| Author(s) | S. A. Al-Hamed, M.F. Wahby, N.M. Aldosari and I.S. Tabash |
| Affiliation | Agricultural Engineering Dept., College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia |
| Title | Effect of Digging Depth and Amplitudes of the Riddle Chain of |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Agricultural Sciences. Volume 19, No 1. (2007/1427) |
| Abstract | The effect of the digging depth of a potato harvester on tubers damage was investigated. The potato harvester type is a two-row potato digger with riddle chain. The experiments were conducted in a potato field of Haradh Project of the National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC) east of Riyadh, in a sandy loam soil, and for a potato crop planted during the spring season of 2004. The potato type was Hermes (oval graded seed tubers). The forward speed was set to 2 km/h, and the amplitudes of the riddle chain of the implement were 17 and 25 mm. The study showed that average values of tubers lifting percentage were in close agreement for digging depths 17 and 22 cm. They were between 96.9% and 98.0%. But, the tubers lifting percentage was low for the depth of 12 cm (51.3% and 72.8% at the amplitudes of the riddle chain of 17 and 25 mm, respectively). At the amplitudes of 17 mm, total damaged tubers percentages ranged between 0.76% and 10.96% for the depths 22 and 12 cm, respectively, and ranged between 0.04% and 12.01% at the amplitude of 25 mm. It was found that there was a significant difference between the digging depth of 12 cm and the other depths for the effect on both damaged tubers percentage and damage index. However, the digging depths 17 and 22 cm did not show significant difference for both damaged tubers percentage and damage index, although damaged tubers percentage and damage index decreased as digging depth increased. The values of potato damage index for all depths were within acceptable limits of damage index. Minimum value of damage index was 0.04 at the digging depth of 22 cm and amplitude of 25 mm. The results also showed that there was no significant difference when the amplitude was changed from 17 to 25 mm. |
