PERFORMANCE OF A LOCALLY FABRICATED ONE-ROW POTATO HARVESTER FOR WALK-TRACTOR

This study evaluates the performance of a locally fabricated one-row mechanized potato harvester designed for small and medium-scale farms in Kenya, focusing on its efficiency across different soil conditions. Mechanized harvesting addresses inefficiencies and post-harvest losses in potato farming, particularly in Kenya's diverse agricultural environments. The harvester was tested under dry soil (moisture content below 15%) and moderately wet soil (moisture content between 20% and 25%) conditions. Key performance metrics assessed included harvesting efficiency, tuber damage rate, fuel consumption, and field capacity. The harvester achieved an average efficiency of 93.4%, with higher performance observed in moderately wet soil (94.7%) compared to dry soil (92.1%). The average tuber damage rate was 4.2%, with more significant damage occurring in dry soil (4.8%) than in wet soil (3.6%). Fuel consumption remained consistent at 2.5 liters/hectare, and field capacity was measured at 0.4 hectares/hour. These results demonstrate the harvester's reliability and adaptability to local farming conditions, providing a mechanical potato harvesting solution for small-scale farmers in Kenya.