Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has developed a lever-operated sugarcane shoot cutter to enhance sustainable sugarcane initiative practices, aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing cost and human effort.
Coimbatore: In an innovative step towards sustainable sugarcane farming, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has unveiled a new lever-operated sugarcane mother shoot cutter. This new tool primarily supports the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI), which promotes the removal of the mother shoot after the establishment of sugarcane seedlings to ensure uniformly growing tillers.
The traditional methods involving secateurs, knives, and sickles provided low operational efficiency and high costs. The newly introduced tool not only reduces the cost of cultivation but also minimizes the physical strain on agricultural laborers. It promotes better growth, leading to a greater number of tillers and millable canes per plant.
The invention combines modified secateurs, a mild steel plate, and carefully designed handles. Specifications include a mild steel flat of 900 mm length, secateurs modified for optimum use including short handles with 7 mm holes 20 mm from the rear end. The design intends to improve the efficiency of the operator, the tool, and the cutting process.
With this tool, operators can achieve a cutting rate of about 1200 sugarcane mother shoots per hour at a cost of only Rs. 1000 per unit. Moreover, it significantly reduces the risk of injuries and backaches commonly associated with manual cutting methods. TNAU's innovation has been recognized with a 20-year patent awarded by the Patent Office, Government of India, marking a significant achievement in agricultural tools development.
The traditional methods involving secateurs, knives, and sickles provided low operational efficiency and high costs. The newly introduced tool not only reduces the cost of cultivation but also minimizes the physical strain on agricultural laborers. It promotes better growth, leading to a greater number of tillers and millable canes per plant.
The invention combines modified secateurs, a mild steel plate, and carefully designed handles. Specifications include a mild steel flat of 900 mm length, secateurs modified for optimum use including short handles with 7 mm holes 20 mm from the rear end. The design intends to improve the efficiency of the operator, the tool, and the cutting process.
With this tool, operators can achieve a cutting rate of about 1200 sugarcane mother shoots per hour at a cost of only Rs. 1000 per unit. Moreover, it significantly reduces the risk of injuries and backaches commonly associated with manual cutting methods. TNAU's innovation has been recognized with a 20-year patent awarded by the Patent Office, Government of India, marking a significant achievement in agricultural tools development.