Development and Performance Evaluation of a Tractor Powered Solid Manure Spreader

The objective of this study is to develop a tractor-powered manure spreader for various types of manure to facilitate manure spreading operation, reduce human drudgery and improve manure application uniformity for optimum crop growth. A rotating disc manure spreader was therefore developed to replace manual manure application and substitute the costly imported spreaders that are beyond the reach of an average Nigerian farmer. Major components of the spreader are hopper, agitator, spreading disc, flow rate control mechanism, frame, power transmission unit, and gear box. The spreader was evaluated both in the field and laboratory using cow dung. Laboratory test was conducted to determine the output [quantity in kilogram disposed per hour (kg/h)] at 3 levels of flowrate (F1 = 15 cm, F2 = 30 cm and F3 = 45 cm) and 3 levels of disc peripheral speed at a stationary position. For the field evaluation, moisture content of manure was measured using the dry weight method; weights of 40 kg dung was measured and used for each experiment on a 100 m x 25 m field to determine the machine efficiency and effective field capacity. Results obtained show that the effective field capacity, effective width, efficiency of the spreader and spreading capacity ranges from 4.4-9.8 ha/hr, 7.5–10.4 m, 60.8-89.4 %, 1070-39381kg/hr, respectively. Manure application rate ranges from 3011.3-4082.1 kg/ha and Machine efficiency was 89.4%. Similarly, maximum spreading width, machine efficiency and effective field capacity were 9 m, 82.61%, and 9.8 ha/hr respectively. The cost of production of the designed manure spreader was N165,440.00.