About 62% of the maize produced in developing countries is cultivated manually owing to limited access to appropriate technology. Available technologies perform a single operation, necessitating farmers to buy multiple implements, which is expensive. In this study, an ox-drawn tool integrating a plough, planter and cultivator for small-scale maize farming was developed and its performance evaluated. Planting and cultivating units were designed and fabricated for assembly onto an existing standard ox-plough beam. The integrated tool was tested in the field to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of cultivation and planting of maize. Results showed that the planting unit had an average seed rate of 35.4 kg/ha with a seed damage of 4% and an effective field capacity of 0.15 ha/h at a field efficiency of 87.3%. The cultivating unit had an effective field capacity of 0.1 ha/h and a weeding efficiency of 86%. The efficiency, effectiveness and reliability for field operations are superior to manual operations currently used by farmers and are comparable to single-unit prototypes developed in other countries. This demonstrates the technical feasibility of integrating planting and cultivation units onto an existing mould board plough instead of buying multiple tools.
Fisher, M. and Carr, E.R. (2015) The influence of Gendered Roles and Responsibilities on the Adoption of Technologies That Mitigate Drought Risk: The Case of Drought-Tolerant Maize Seed in Eastern Uganda. Global Environmental Change, 35, 82-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.08.009
Koller, A.A., Rascon, J.A., Lam, E., Metcalf, M., Childers, A., Raun, B., Taylor, R. and Weckler, P. (2012) Design and Development of a Stick Planter for the Developing World. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, 29 July-1 August 2012.
UBOS (2016) The National Population and Housing Census 2014—Main Report. Uganda Bureau of Statistics Kampala, Kampala.
UBOS (2010) Uganda Census of Agriculture 2008/2009, Volume IV: Crop Area and Production Report.
Simiyu, S.W. (2014) Factors Influencing Maize Production among Small Scale Farmers in Kenya, a Case of Bungoma Central Sub County, in Department of Distance Studies. University of Nairobi, Nairobi.
Olajide, O.G. and Manuwa, S.I. (2014) Design, Fabrication and Testing of a Low-Cost Row-Crop Planter for Peasant Farmers. Proceedings of the International Soil Tillage Research Organization (ISTRO) Nigeria Symposium, Akure, 3-6 November 2014, 94-100.
Diao, X.; Silver, J. and Takeshima, H. (2016) Agricultural Mechanization and Agricultural Transformation. International Food Policy Research Institute, 1527.
MAAF (2010) Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan: 2010/11-2014/15. International Food Policy Research Institute Kampala, Uganda.
Wanyama, J., Banadda, N., Kiyimba, F., Okurut, S., Zziwa, A., Kabenge, I. and Kiggundu, N. (2016) Profiling Agricultural Engineering Technologies for Mechanizing Smallholder Agriculture in Uganda. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal, 18, 40-51.
Tsegaye, A. (2015) Development of Animal Drawn Multi-Crop Planter. Ph.D. Doctoral Dissertation, Haramaya University, Haramaya.
Ahmed, R. (2014) Performance Evaluation of Draught Animal Power Cultivator. Asian Journal of Applied Science Engineering, 3, 369-374. https://doi.org/10.15590/ajase/2014/v3i8/54949
Deal, C., Brewer, C.E., Brown, R.C., Okure, M.A.E. and Amoding, A. (2012) Comparison of Kiln-Derived and Gasifier-Derived Biochars as Soil Amendments in the Humid Tropics. Biomass Bioenergy, 37, 161-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2011.12.017
Sims, B.G. (2000) Elements of Design and Evaluation of Animal-Drawn Weeders. In: Starkey, P. and Simalenga, T., Eds., Animal Power for Weed Control, a Resource Book of the Animal Traction Network for Easter and Southern Africa (ATNESA), Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen, the Netherlands, 94-104.
Khan, K., Moses, S.C. and Kumar, A. (2015) The Design and Fabrication of a Manually Operated Single Row Multi-Crops Planter. IOSR Journal of Agriculture Veterinary Science, 8, 147-158.
Choudhari, D. (2001) Performance Evaluation of Various Types of Furrow Openers on Seed Drills. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 79, 125-137.
Singh, J. and Yadaw, M. (2014). Testing and Evaluation of Animal Drawn Multi-Purpose Tool Seed cum Fertilizer Drill. International Journal of Scientific Engineering Technology, 3, 463-466.
Oduma, O., Ede, J.C. and Igwe, J.E. (2014) Development and Performance Evaluation of a Manually Operated Cowpea Precision Planter. International Journal of Engineering Technology, 4, 693-699.
Hanna, M. (2001) Estimating Field Capacity of Farm Machines. PM 696. Extension and Outreach, Ames, Iowa, 1-4.
Belfield, S. and Brown, C. (2009) A Guide to Upland Cropping in Cambodia: Maize. Australian Government. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra.
Woo, S.M., Uyeh, D.D., Sagong, M.S. and Ha, Y.S. (2017). Development of Seeder for Mixed Planting of Corn and Soybeans. International Journal of Agricultural Biological Engineering, 10, 95-101.
Madanzi, T., Chiduza, C. and Richardson-Kageler. (2010) Effects of Planting Method and Seed Size on Stand Establishment of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill cv. Solitaire]. Soil Tillage Research, 106, 171-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2009.12.003
Rabbani, M.A., Hossain, M.M., Asha, J.F. and Khan, N.A. (2016) Design and Development of a Low Cost Planter for Maize Establishment. Journal of Science, Technology Environment Informatics, 4, 270-279. https://doi.org/10.18801/jstei.040116.30
Aikins, S.H.M., Bart-Plange, A. and Opoku-Baffour, S. (2010) Performance Evaluation of Jab Planters for Maize Planting and Inorganic Fertilizer Application. Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science, 5, 29-33.
Alhassan, E.A., Adewumi, A.D. and Okpodjah, B. (2018) Development of a Self-Propelled Multi-Crop Two Rows Precision Planter: A New Design Concept for the Metering Mechanism. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Technology, 9, 349-358.
Osadare, T. and Manuwa, S.I. (2019) Performance Evaluation of A Pulse Planter Developed for Conservation Agriculture. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 12, 15-21.
Bautista, E.G., Gagelonia, E.C., Abon, J.E., Corales, A.M., Bueno, C.S., Banayo, N.P.M.C., Lugto, R.V., Suralta, R.R. and Kato, Y. (2019) Development of Hand Tractor-Mounted Seed Drill for Rice-Based Cropping Systems in the Philippines. Plant Production Science, 22, 54-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/1343943X.2018.1562309
Adisa, A.F. (2011) Design and Construction of Manually Operated Flute Planter with Fertilizer Distributor. Science, 10, 178-183.
Devojee, B., Meena, S.S., Sharma, A.K. and Agarwal, C. (2019) Performance Evaluation of Weeder by Number of Blades per Flange in Maize Crop. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 8, 2389-2397. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.804.278
Kumar, S., Kumar, A. and Kumar, S. (2017) Performance Evaluation of Developed Manually Operated Rotary Weeder for Vegetable Crops. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 6, 4012-4019. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.611.470
Sahu, M. Goel, A.K. (2017) Development of a Multipurpose Power Weeder. Power, 58, 3527-3531.
Bhavin, R., Khardiwar, M.S., Kumar, S. Solanki, B.P. (2016) Performance Evaluation of Manual Operated Single Row Weeder for Groundnut Crop. International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research (IJASR), 6, 201-210. https://doi.org/10.15740/HAS/ETI/7.1/45-52
Ajewole, P.O. and Elegbeleye, K.E. (2011) Development of a Speed Selection System for a Mechanical Weeder. Proceedings of the 7th Engineering Forum, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria, 154-157.
Quadri, A.W. (2010) Design, Construction and Testing of Manually Operated Weeder. BSc. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.