Development of Vetiver (Vetiveria Zizianoides) Root Digger Equipment and Optimization of its Parameters under Field Condition

Abstract

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) is a significant aromatic crop cultivated for its essential oil extracted from its roots, widely used in the soap, cosmetics, and perfumery industries. However, harvesting Vetiver roots presents a considerable challenge due to their deep root system up to 45–50 cm in clay soils. Hence, in order to dig these roots, a suitable digger with a novel type of soil penetration tool has been developed to harvest the roots at a depth of 45 to 50 cm. The performance of the developed equipment was assessed under varying operational parameters, rake angles of 15°, 20°, and 25°, forward speeds of 0.72, 1.2, and 1.8 km/h, and soil conveyor speeds of 0.55, 0.69, and 0.83 m/s. The results revealed that the highest harvesting efficiency (80%) was noticed at a lower forward speed of 0.72 km/h, a conveyor speed of 0.83 m/s, and a rake angle of 25°. Fuel consumption of the tractor during operation was found to increase with higher forward speeds and greater rake angles. The maximum soil separation efficiency of 71% was achieved at a forward speed of 0.72 km/h, conveyor speed of 0.55 m/s, and rake angle of 15°. The developed equipment demonstrated the capability to harvest the roots at a depth of 45 cm and separate the soil and roots in a 300 m2 area of vetiver crop in one hour. The newly developed digging equipment provides an effective solution for both harvesting Vetiver roots and soil separation in clay soils.