EFFECT OF MOISTURE CONTENT ON PERFORMANCE OF A LOCALLY FABRICATED COWPEA THRESHER
A.U. Fulani, J.Y. Kuje and Mohammed, B. I
Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture, Lafia, Nigeria.
E-mail: mbabaibraheem@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT: The result of the physical properties of the common variety (kananado) grown in the area had 36mm, 7.88mm 300 and 9.01% respectively. The performance of the thresher was evaluated at the drum speed of 700,900 and 1200rpm each at the moisture content of 4.3, 6.4 and 9.01% and was replicated thrice. The result revealed that the average feed rate, percentage unthreshed, threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency and grain output were 154.18kg/hr, 2.64%, 97.68, 1.56%, 97.58% and 107.67kg/hr respectively. The result of the study as indicated by the result of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that the drum speed has no effect except at seeds damaged and feed rate where it has high significant at p≤0.01 and significant effect on grain output at p≤0.05. The effect of moisture content showed high significance on performance efficiency at p≤0.01 except on cleaning efficiency. The interaction between the drum speed and moisture content has no effect on performance efficiency. The machine can easily be dismantled for maintenance transportation. The thresher can also be used as a winnower if the concave and the threshing drum are removed, average seeds length, thickness, angle of repose and optimum moisture content of 10.