No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Ergonomic Evaluation of an Indigenous Tillage Tool Employed in Nigerian Agriculture
Abstract
About 86 % of the total agricultural land under cultivation in Nigeria is
prepared using Hand-Tool Technology (HTT), i.e., simple tools such as hoes, matchets,
sickles, and wooden diggers, as opposed to Draught Animal Technology (DAT) and Engine
Power Technology (EPT), which account for 4 % and 10 % of the sources of power for the
total land cultivated espectively.The design features of a hoe have considerable implications
on its performance efficiency and the health of the user. For instance, positive correlations
have been established between the scooping efficiency and both the angle of inclination of
the blade to the handle, and the length of the hoe handle. Also, the constant use of a shorthandled
hoe may result into permanent deformation of the user's spine. Hence, an
ergonomic evaluation of existing hand hoes in the country would assist in the design of
improved versions. This paper presents the results of an ergonomic evaluation conducted on
a local ridging hoe type commonly employed in Oyo State, Nigeria. The parameters
evaluated included the length of the hoe handle, the total weight of the hoe and the weight ratios of the hoe to both the handle and the blade, the surface area of the blade, and the
angle of inclination of the blade to the hoe handle. A total of 40 hoes surveyed in five towns
were evaluated. Results obtained indicatedthat the hoes were: short-handled, with an
average handle length of 0.55 m; relatively heavy with an average weight of 2.5 kg an
average blade- to- hoe weight ratio of 1:2; an average handle- to- hoe weight ratio of 1:3;
and had relatively large surface areas and rather small angles of inclination of the blades to
the handles, the average values being 0.06 m2 and 480 respectively. The average length of
the hoe handles confirmed their relative suitability as ridging hoes, though with some
attendant disadvantages. The average blade- to- hoe weight ratio was considered
acceptable as it enhances good soil penetration. The average surface area of the blade
was also considered adequate for optimum scooping of soil material during ridging of
inclination. However, the average angle of inclination of the blade to the handle was noted
as a possible major contributor to the relatively high energy expenditure during ridging
reported in previous studies on Nigerian hoes.
... Using the 2006 data, Agriculture contributed about 32 percent to the national GDP. Oyedemi and Olajide [1] estimated that 86 percent of the land cultivation in Nigeria is done using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools. Also, Yisa [2] stated that 80 percent of the food consumed by Nigerians is cultivated by peasant farmers. ...
... Few studies have evaluated the use of hoes in developing countries [1,[12][13][14][15]. The design features of hoes have considerable implications on their performance efficiency and the health of the user as positive correlations have been established between the scooping efficiency and both the angle of inclination of the blade to the handle, and the length of the hoe handle [1]. ...
... Few studies have evaluated the use of hoes in developing countries [1,[12][13][14][15]. The design features of hoes have considerable implications on their performance efficiency and the health of the user as positive correlations have been established between the scooping efficiency and both the angle of inclination of the blade to the handle, and the length of the hoe handle [1]. Moreover, constant use of a short-handled hoe may result into permanent deformation of the user's spine [1]. ...
Despite mechanized farming, human power is still widely used in the developing industries. The majority of the foods being
consumed by Nigerians were cultivated by farmers using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools. These tools are produced locally by blacksmith
without due consideration for ergonomics but as passed on to them by their trainers who in most cases are their fathers. The main aim of the
study was to obtain some anthropometric data of rural farmers, identify the hoes that they used and measure the dimensions of the identified
hoes. Some anthropometric data of twelve male farmers in two villages in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State were measured. The
measured dimensions of the hoes measure were the lengths of the hoe handle, the total weight of the hoe, blade thickness, blade length,
blade breadth and the angle of inclination of the blade to the hoe handle. The mean of the anthropometric data obtained were 17.8, 27.1, 108,
8.1, 8.1, 10.3 and 18.9 cm for chest depth; chest breadth, elbow height (standing), finger length, hand breadth at metacarpals, hand breadth
and hand length respectively. Also, four types of hoe were identified in the villages with a mean of 2.0 kg, 2. 33 mm, 25.2cm, 24.0 cm, 34.5
mm, 50.5 cm and 45 for weight, blade thickness, blade length, blade width, handle thickness, handle length and angle inclination of the
handle with the blade respectively. The study concluded that it was necessary to redesigning the hoe short-handled hoe with a view to make it
long-handled to allowing for an upright and more comfortable posture during ridging or mounding operation in farming.
... Farming has been rated one of the most dangerous occupations (Mazza, 1997) with a considerable number of adverse health conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders. Yisa (2005) stated that peasant farmers cultivate 80 percent of the food consumed by Nigerians and Oyedemi and Olajide (2002) estimated that 86 percent of the land cultivation in Nigeria is done using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools. The import of these findings is that farmers using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools cultivated the majority of the foods being consumed by Nigerians. ...
... Few studies have evaluated the use of hoes in developing countries (Badiger et al., 2006;Oyedemi and Olajide, 2002;Nwuba and Kaul, 1986;Tewari, 1991). Because of the socio-economic conditions of farmers in several developing countries including Nigeria, human muscle power is used for many farm activities. ...
Manual work, which requires human muscle energy, is still common today despite automation and mechanization of activities especially in developing industries. Agricultural activities include land clearing, ridging/ mounding, planting and post harvest operations. There is presently limited data for energy requirements for making mounds for sowing of crops using manual hoes in Nigeria, necessitating this study. The participants in the study were a random sample of seven men and five women in two villages in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The subjects' heart rate HR was recorded before the mounding operation (HR R) and at the end (HR W). The energy expenditure of the farmers was determined using three models from the literature. The maximum energy expenditure obtained from the study was 12.92kJ/min (215.33 Watts) while the maximum work rate was 3.23 kJ/min (53.83 Watts). It was concluded that though mounding operations was a moderate work, there was the possibility of postural load, which would necessitate the design of appropriate simple motorized tools for mounding operations.
... The results of this survey supports the findings of Takeshima and Salau (2010) which stated that many Nigerian farmers still use manual labour and basic hand tools such as hoe, cutlass and matchet and occasionally employ labour saving tools draught animal, ploughs or tractor. Oyedemi and Olajide (2002) had earlier concluded that about 86% of the total agricultural land under cultivation in Nigeria is prepared using hand tool technology. ...
Reference evapotranspiration, ET o , is important as it is used to determine the evaporative demand of the atmosphere. There is a need for continued studies to determine the reference evapotranspiration of different locations as well as its relationship with various climatic parameters for the prediction of water demands for human and ecological reasons. A study undertaken to determine the relationship between ET o , obtained using the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, Penman-Monteith (FAO-56 PM) method, and some climatic data in Umudike, Nigerian environment were presented. The climatic parameters considered were solar radiation, sunshine hours and wind speed. The interactions of climatic parameters in the input variables of the ET o model, were also investigated. Simple linear regression analyses of the ET o and the climatic parameters of study area were conducted, and correlation coefficients between the ET o and the climatic parameters were obtained to be +0.676 for solar radiation, +0.673 for sunshine hours, and -0.151 for wind speed. While the population regression coefficients were: +0.234 for solar radiation, +0.0274 for sunshine hours, and +0.0282 for wind speed. The R ² was 0.976 and the significance F value was 0.000639. The results obtained were compared with results of study by other researchers, and they fitted well. © 2019, Int. Comm. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. All rights reserved.
... Introduction Hoes constitute the main tillage tool in Sub-saharan Africa and in Nigeria, eighty six percent (86%) of the total agricultural land under cultivation is prepared using hand-tool technology (HTT) as opposed to draught animal technology (DAT) and engine power technology (EPT) which account for 4% and 10% of the sources of power respectively (Oyedemi, 2002;Odigboh, 1999;Mrema and Mrema, 1993). The interest in HTT and DAT in Nigeria and in fact SSA is to curtail the mechanization inertia as most of the farmers are illiterate and are not ready to let go of culture and also to reduce the adverse effects (Ofori,1993) of conventional like soil erosion. ...
... The results of this survey supports the findings of Takeshima and Salau (2010) which stated that many Nigerian farmers still use manual labour and basic hand tools such as hoe, cutlass and matchet and occasionally employ labour saving tools draught animal, ploughs or tractor. Oyedemi and Olajide (2002) had earlier concluded that about 86% of the total agricultural land under cultivation in Nigeria is prepared using hand tool technology. ...
A study was carried out to assess available resources for mechanized farming in two urban areas of Enugu state of Nigeria. The two urban areas used for this study in Enugu state of Nigeria are Enugu and Nsukka. Investigative survey approach using questionnaire was used to carry out the study. Results obtained showed that the basic resources such as land, water and power needed for mechanized farming are grossly inadequate in the two urban areas. This resulted to near absence of mechanization in these two urban areas. Tractor services are almost nonexistent, the average farm size is less than 0.1 ha and the major source of water is rain. Governments are advised to make new and bold efforts to formulate policies and develop programmes that will improve operations in the sector. © 2017 Farm Machinery Industrial Research Corp. All rights reserved.
... Introduction Hoes constitute the main tillage tool in Sub-saharan Africa and in Nigeria, eighty six percent (86%) of the total agricultural land under cultivation is prepared using hand-tool technology (HTT) as opposed to draught animal technology (DAT) and engine power technology (EPT) which account for 4% and 10% of the sources of power respectively (Oyedemi, 2002;Odigboh, 1999;Mrema and Mrema, 1993). The interest in HTT and DAT in Nigeria and in fact SSA is to curtail the mechanization inertia as most of the farmers are illiterate and are not ready to let go of culture and also to reduce the adverse effects (Ofori,1993) of conventional like soil erosion. ...
A work on the analysis of deflection characteristics of selected cultivation hoes used in mechanized tillage within West Africa is presented. Three (3) predominant cultivation hoes with origins in Nigeria: Abakaliki, Keffi, and Zaki Biam hoes were selected and adapted for mechanized tillage. They were coupled to a tractor using the three point linkage system. The deflection of the hoes from their usual shapes as they encountered resistance in a sandy loam soil under two (2) different tillage depths and four different widths (15, 20, 25, 30cm) was used to characterize their strength within a soil moisture content range of 6.3% to 18% wet basis. At depth 1 (10cm), the Abakaliki hoe had deflections ranging from 4mm to 41mm, Zaki biam hoe from 5mm to 33mm and Keffi hoe from 13mm to 48mm. At depth 2 (15cm), Abakaliki hoe had deflections ranging from 12mm to 43mm, Zaki Biam hoe from 15mm to 48mm while Keffi hoe had deflections ranging from 27mm to 68mm. The hoe varieties and widths had significant effects on the deflections at 5% level. The results show that the Abakaliki hoe had the least deflection followed by the Zaki Biam hoe and the keffi hoe had the highest. The results also show that the deflection increases with depth which implies that the strength decreases with depth.
... Similarly, Oyedemi and Olajide [4] estimated that 86 percent of the land cultivation in Nigeria is done using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools. The import of these findings is that farmers using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools cultivated the majority of the foods being consumed by Nigerians. ...
Most of the heat produced in the body is generated in the deep organs, especially in the liver, brain, heart and the skeletal muscles during physical work like mounding operation in farming. This heat is transferred from the deeper organs and tissues to the skin, where it is lost to the air and other surroundings through conduction, convection and radiation. The main aim of this study was to determine the amount of heat dissipated during mounding operation. Seven men and five women were randomly selected among farmers in two villages in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The subjects' body core temperatures and the environmental temperatures were obtained. The heat dissipated by the farmers was determined from the conduction, convection and radiation models in thermodynamics. Some of the values used in the application of the models were obtained from the literature. The maximum heat dissipated during the mounding operation was determined as 416.21 W. It was concluded that mounding operations may not result in heat stress and could be due to the methods employed by the farmers.
... Similarly, Oyedemi and Olajide [4] estimated that 86 percent of the land cultivation in Nigeria is done using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools. The import of these findings is that farmers using hoes, cutlasses and similar tools cultivated the majority of the foods being consumed by Nigerians. ...
Most of the heat produced in the body is generated in the deep organs, especially in the liver, brain, heart and the skeletal muscles during physical work like mounding operation in farming. This heat is transferred from the deeper organs and tissues to the skin, where it is lost to the air and other surroundings through conduction, convection and radiation. The main aim of this study was to determine the amount of heat dissipated during mounding operation. Seven men and five women were randomly selected among farmers in two villages in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The subjects’ body core temperatures and the environmental temperatures were obtained. The heat dissipated by the farmers was determined from the conduction, convection and radiation models in thermodynamics. Some of the values used in the application of the models were obtained from the literature. The maximum heat dissipated during the mounding operation was determined as 416.21 W. It was concluded that mounding operations may not result in heat stress and could be due to the methods employed by the farmers.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.