The properties of kernels, grains and seeds are important in the development of equipment for transportation, handling and processing. Physical and mechanical properties of Gmelina arborea where experimentally determined. The moisture content of Gmelina arborea was determined as 41.30%wb. The major, minor and intermediate diameters were 18.16 ± 1.79 mm, 10.52 ± 0.93 mm and 9.40 ± 0.81 mm respectively. The geometric and arithmetic mean diameter were calculated as 12.12 ± 1.10 and 9.56 ± 0.90 mm respectively. The sphericity was 66.91%, aspect ratio, 58.19, bulk and true densities, 0.64 kg/m3 and 0.96 kg/m3 respectively. The porosity and mass of a 1000 seeds were 66.67% and 621.33g respectively. The coefficient of friction determined on four different surfaces were; on wood, 0.4 ± 0.7, on galvanized steel, 0.37 ± 0.6, on glass, 0.36 ± 0.4 and on aluminum, 0.34 ± 0.6. The angle of repose was 24.09o. The compressive test conducted on the three major axes; vertical, horizontal and transverse shows that the energy needed for cracking of the Gmelina arborea is least on the horizontal axis, 0.808 ± 0.19 kN, followed by the vertical axis, 1.496 ± 0.35 kN and then the transverse axis, 2.39 ± 0.20 kN, with corresponding stress as 1.52 ± 0.35, 2.90 ± 0.45 and 4.90 ± 0.44 MPa respectively.
Tillage is the basic operation in agriculture and its energy requirements represent a considerable portion of the energy utilized in crop production. The trials were achieved using five tractor speeds (3.6, 5.4, 7.2, 9.0 and 10.8 km/hr) and five tillage depths (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm) to determine implement speed at different tillage depths for 3-bottom disc plough, spring tine cultivator and offset disc harrow on loamy soil. The design of the experiment used were two factors, five levels factorial of Central Composite Rotatable Design of Response Surface Method. Selected models were analyzed using ANOVA at ao. 05 and also validated. The high values of the coefficient of determination for all the selected models and the reasonable agreement between the predicted and actual values of draft and power requirement for all the tested implements show that the generated model equations can be used for predictive purposes for draft and power requirement.
Tillage is the basic operation in agriculture and its energy requirements represent a considerable portion of the energy utilized in crop production. A field experimental data were optimized using central composite rotatable design of response surface method for draft and power requirement for 3-bottom disc plough, spring tine cultivator and offset disc harrow in a loamy soil. Optimum draft for 3-bottomdisc plough, spring tine cultivator and offset disc harrow on a loamy soil were 2.80; 0.20 and 1.82kN, respectively while optimum power requirements for 3-bottom disc plough, spring tine cultivator and offset disc harrow were 3.93; 0.30 and 2.42 kW, respectively. Optimum tillage depth and tractor speed for 3-bottom disc plough, spring tine cultivator and offset disc harrow were 22.03 cm and 10.84 km/hr, 14.07 cm and 10.80 km/hr, 17.70 cm and 10.24 km/hr, respectively. It is therefore recommended that tillage operation should be carried out at the specified optimum values at the study location in order to increase the efficiency of the operation.
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