Design and Development of Double Rotor Drum Shredding Machine for Managing Pineapple Residue in Peat Soil

Abstract

In Malaysia, Pineapple is a one of tropical crop that contributes in generating Malaysian economy. Pineapple is mostly planted on mineral and peat soils, where each has different practices and approaches. In Peat soil condition, nowadays farmers normally managed the pineapple residues by using a chemical to kill and fire to burn before it been replanted. This is common practice to remove the pineapple residues. With this method soil fertility can be affected and open burning will be polluting the environment, as the government nowadays recommending toward green approach.(1) In the 9th Malaysian plan (RMK-9), MARDI has come out with a machine to shred and plough pineapple plant residues back into the soil which are practiced for mineral soil. The machine is adopting a motivator concept. Unfortunately, the machine had the unsatisfied result because the plants were not chopped into small pieces but only separated into a few large parts. (2) In the 11th Malaysian plan (RMK-11), the development of a new concept and prototype with a double rotor drum, design type blade, special blade arrangement and speed gave a promising result in a way to manage the residues of pineapple plants easily without chemical or fire. (3)(4)The objective of the study is based on the design of the machined with double rotor drum shredding that can been conceded as normally rotovator but which has resulted in fine and easy disposal pineapple plant residues.