Physical and Mechanical Properties of Tissue Culture Banana Plantlets for the Design of Planting Mec
Objectives: Physical and mechanical characteristics such as mass, plantlet height, pseudostem height from tray to first leaf, pseudostem diameter between root plug and first leaf, root plug dimension, root plug moisture content, pulling force and compression resistance are needed to design a mechanical transplanting mechanism for tissue culture banana plantlets. Study Position and Duration: Farm Machinery and Power Engineering Department, AEC&RI, Kumulur, Farm Machinery and Power Engineering Department, AEC&RI, Coimbatore and Post-Harvest Technology Centre, Coimbatore, August 2019 to December 2019. Methodology: Physical and mechanical properties have been studied for three local varieties used by the farmers to culivate tissue culture banana, namely 'Grand Naine-G9' (AAA), 'Red Banana' (AAA) and 'Nendran' (BAA). Results: 'G9', 'Red Banana' and 'Nendran' were 120.5±12.3, 117.2±9.0 and 113.5±9.0 g mass and 379.3±21.72, 360±26.23, 467.6±13.06 mm height, respectively, 10.7 ± 1.0, 10.2 ± 0.8 and 10.9 ± 1.4 mm, pseudostem diameter near the root plug. For the 'Red' variety (37.1±4.3 mm), the height of the pseudostem up to the first leaf was minimum, for the 'Nendran' maximum (102.1±2.3 mm). The pulling force of 4.96±2, 4.97±1.1 and 5.05±1.6 N was observed for three varieties, with no distinction between them. For 'G9', 'Red' and 'Nendran' respectively, the minimum compressive resistance given by the three varieties is 47.16 ± 3.08, 46.42 ± 5.43 and 38.55 ± 1.86 N near the base and 44.07 ± 2.55, 37.89 ± 6.6 and 32.36 ± 1.58 N at 25 mm above the root plug. Conclusion: The overall weight of the plantlet was 132.8 mm for the variety 'G9' and the height of the plantlet was 480 mm for the variety 'Nendran.' For the 'Red' type, the minimum height of the pseudostem up to the first leaf was 31 mm and the picking gripper height should be less than 30 mm. To detach the plantlet from the pro-tray, the minimum pulling force should be 7 N and the force applied by the gripper to keep the plantlet on the pseudo stem should not exceed 30 N. Please see the link :- https://www.journalcjast.com/index.php/CJAST/article/view/30972