Vol. 8, Issue 8, Part M (2024)

Threshers are crucial for post-harvest paddy management, specifically for separating grain from the plant. Farmers face significant challenges in transporting and using complex threshers, such as combine harvesters or multi-crop threshers, particularly in rural or hilly areas. To address these issues, there is a need for a design and development of low-cost, easily transportable thresher designed for small and marginal farmers. This review focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of pedal-operated paddy threshers, adhering to the specifications outlined in BIS 3327: 1982. The conventional four-bar linkage mechanism in pedal-operated threshers demands significant effort during operation. Solar photovoltaic systems present an effective alternative power source for threshing machines, especially in areas with limited or no electricity supply. This review evaluates the performance of a thresher based on physiological parameters, specifically heart rate and energy expenditure rate. It was found that the pedal-operated paddy threshers exhibit the most favourable configuration, with the lowest working pulse rate of 45.90 bpm and an energy consumption rate change of 214.5 W (12.87 kJ min⁻¹).