Design, development and field evaluation of small agricultural tools and equipment for small farms in western Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract Small farms in western Uttar Pradesh rely on manual harvesting for vegetables that are picked individually, often using hand plucking or a knife. This study developed and evaluated a lightweight Multi-Purpose Scissor for Agriculture and compared 17 additional tools and methods across key field operations. The scissor weighed 150 g and measured 187.2 mm in overall length. Its serrated blade was designed to aid cutting, while a notched blade helped retain the stalk during cutting; the handle loops were informed by anthropometric data for Indian agricultural workers. Across okra, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, bitter gourd and brinjal, the scissor reduced the Strain Index by 44–69%, bringing scores into the study’s defined safe range for four crops. Output increased by 9–11% for the three gourds, while the brinjal harvesting rate declined by 29%. The tool also avoided the 2–3% produce loss recorded with hand plucking and received favourable ratings from all 30 participating farmers. Comparative trials in two villages of Meerut district showed that a power weeder reduced labour demand from about 167 to 8–10 person-h ha⁻¹. Improved sickles reduced physiological workload during rice harvesting, whereas the brush cutter used for harvesting produced an extremely heavy workload. The findings indicate that small-farm mechanisation should combine appropriate hand tools, small powered implements and shared access to larger machines, with selection based on both field performance and operator workload.