Design and Development of Battery Operated Weeder for Wetland Rice
R. K. Naik
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET & RS, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Ankush Jaiswal
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET & RS, IGKV, Raipur, India.
Geeta Patel *
Agricultural Engineering (FMPE) CARS, Raigarh, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Gajendra Singh
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET and RS, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Virendra Kumar
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET & RS, IGKV, Raipur, India.
Karan Mandal
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET & RS, IGKV, Raipur, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Wetland rice cultivation requires effective inter-row weed management, but manual weeding is labour-intensive and conventional powered machines can be difficult to operate in puddled soil.
Aim: To design and develop a battery-powered weeder that provides a lightweight, economical, ergonomic and eco-friendly machinery solution to reduce dependence on manual labour in wetland rice fields.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, SVCAET & RS, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, during 2025–2026.
Methodology: The machine was powered by a 650 W DC motor paired with a 27 V, 30 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery system. Key structural components incorporated into the design included a mild steel chassis, rotating stainless-steel blades, a worm gear transmission system, a control unit and a dedicated floating mechanism.
Results: The dimensions of the developed weeder were 780 × 560 × 1400 mm, with a total weight of 17.10 kg. Theoretical battery-runtime estimation indicated approximately 1.24 hours, while the ideal full-recharge time was estimated at approximately 2.4 hours for a 12.5 A charging current. The fabrication cost of the developed unit was estimated at ₹29,840.
Conclusion: A lightweight ( ) battery-operated wetland weeder powered by a DC motor and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack was successfully designed, fabricated, and put into operation for inter-row weed management in puddled rice fields.
Keywords: Battery operated weeder, wetland rice, rotary weeder, lithium iron phosphate battery, machine design, fabrication