CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Importance of the Study

Weeds are one of the major biotic constraints in agricultural production. As per available

estimates, weeds cause up to one – third of the total losses in yield, besides impairing produce

quality and raising cost of production (NRCWS,2007). Weeds are considered a menace to

agricultural farming crop production as they choke the growing plants, snip nutrients that are

supposed to be absorbed by desirable plants, increase the number of mortalities, decrease yield,

and serve as a playground for rodents. Weeds compete with crop plants for water, nutrients,

sunlight, and space and also harbor insect and disease pests (Chaudhary, Joshi, Kumar, et al.

2020). Weeds are unstoppable and grow in any place that has soil and a favorable environment

for plant growth.

In agricultural production, weeding crops can not only control weeds competing with

crops for sunlight and nutrients, but also improve the soil properties and play a role in regulating

soil fertility and water retention, etc. In addition, it can increase the air permeability of the soil

and improve the nutrient supply of crop rhizomes, thereby promoting the growth and

development of crop roots. During inter tillage, weeds grow so vigorously as to easily compete

with crops for fertilizer, sunshine, and water. Weeding at this stage not only solves the problem

that weeds and crops compete for nutrients, but also reduces plant diseases and insect pests

caused by weeds, promotes crop growth, thus increasing yield and improving quality. At present,

crop weeding is mainly divided into manual weeding, mechanical weeding and chemical

weeding. Manual weeding is not easy to be promoted on a large scale due to its low efficiency
and tedious work. Chemical weeding will not only damage the plants but also cause soil

hardening after long-term use, which is adverse to plant growth. At the same time, weeds in the

field are easy to develop resistance, which will reduce the weeding rate. Mechanical weeding as

the overall technology for sustainable development of agriculture has attracted increasing

attention in recent years.

Corn weeding is a crucial aspect of corn cultivation, and it is often done using manual

labor, which can be time consuming and tiring. There is need for more efficient and effective

corn weeder that can reduce the workload and increase productivity of farmers. The current corn

weeding tools in the market are limited in their functionality and may not be suitable for all types

of corn farms or soil conditions. Additionally, traditionally corn weeding methods may cause

damage to the crops or harm the environment with the use of harmful chemicals. Due to these

reasons, the need for weeder as a new way of farm mechanization and as a form of treatment for

the existing problem may support the advocacy.

Problem Statement

Farmers are often concerned that weeds may reduce crop yields. Weeds use the same

nutrients that crop plants use, often in very similar proportions. They also use resources such as

water, sunshine and space that might have gone to crops. The more similar the weed and crop

requirements, the more they will compete for those resources. Weeds that compete aggressively

with crops reduce their yield. Weeds are most damaging to crop yields if they have some

advantage over the crop.

 Weeds can harbour problem insects and crop diseases. For instance, mustard-family

weeds can carry over canola diseases, making rotation a less effective tool for disease

management.

Immature weeds can interfere with harvesting operations. Weed seeds in harvested crops cause

dockage and increase risk of spoilage. This can reduce crop value, or increase shipping costs.

Weeds in grasslands are generally those that are less palatable. They increase with grazing,

because the livestock graze them less than the more palatable plants. Over time, this reduces

range productivity for livestock. Weeds such as smooth brome or purple loosestrife can compete

aggressively with native vegetation, and replace it.

Weeds cause many problems. Most importantly, weeds can reduce crop yield. Weeds

cause greater crop losses if they occur in large numbers, if they get a head start on the crop, if

they are especially vigorous, or if they produce allelopathic substances.

Competition between maize and weeds is still a serious challenge to crop production.

Weeds compete with maize crop for nutrients, light, space and water, therefore weed control in

maize plants are necessary and important to achieve maximum productivity. A corn weeder will

be used extensively for grass and weed control.

Objectives of the Study

This study generally aims to design a weeder for farmers. Specifically, it aims to:

1. Measure the power consumption, field capacity, and field efficiency of the weeder.
 2. Determine the plant damage and weeding cost of the machine.

3. Develop an economical corn weeder for farmers.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses on the design of a weeder for corn production. Materials testing and

performance of the machine will be included.