Study on some Parameters Affecting on Cutting some Crops Using Reciprocating Mower

Field experiments were carried out in two different farms through two successful agriculture seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at Fakus and El-Ebrahimia farms, Sharkia Governorate to evaluate the performance of reciprocating mower during cutting some crops namely: corn, cotton and sugar cane stalks.The main objective of this research is optimizing reciprocating mower kinematic parameter as well as crop moisture content.The experimental area was about 3 feddans divided into 2 equal plots. The first plot was (1.5 feedan) (87.5×72 m) planted with corn, and the second plot was (1.5 feddan) (87.5×72 m) planted with cotton. Each plot was classified into 4 subplots (87.5×18 m). Each subplot classified into 4 subplots (87.5×4.5 m). Each subplot classified into 3 subplots (87.5×1.5 m). In each subplot, the reciprocating mower was used.All experiments were run under a constant peripheral velocity of 4.20 and 5.40 m/s, different tractor forward speeds of 1.9 , 2.7, 4.2 and 6 km/s and 1.97, 3.27, 4.5 and 5.72 km/s which corresponded to different kinematic parameters of 8.1, 5.6, 3.6 and 2.5 and 10, 6, 4.3 and 3.4 during the cutting operation of corn and cotton stalks respectively.from this study the optimum recommendation values for the following indicators were follows:1. Kinematic parameter for cutting corn 3.6 at forward speed 4.2 km/h2. Kinematic parameter for cutting cotton 4.3 at forward speed 4.5 km/h3. Moisture content for cutting corn 42.19% (wet basis)4. Moisture content for cutting cotton 32.11% (wet basis)While the reciprocating mower failed for cutting sugar cane stalks.