Peanut Pod Stripper : Rubber Bands with a Zigzag Rim Type

Abstract

The objectives of this study wee to develop a small-scale peanut pod stripper and to examine to quality of seeds obtained. The machines were developed and tested and the peanut seeds were analyzed in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, in 2000. Two types of pod stripper were constructed. One machine had rubber bands with a zigzag rim type and the other machine had iron rods sheathed with a water hose type. Each machine was attached in front of a tow-wheeled tractor and was run by the tractor's engine. "Tainan 9" and "SK 38" peanuts, 110 days old, were tested with these two pod strippers and were compared with peanuts stripped manually. Harvested peanut pods were put in open electrical conductivity. Test results showed that both pod stripper yielded about 80% of good pods without pod stalks, 9% of good pods with pod stalks, 4% of split pods and the remaining 7% were young pds. Pod quality, in terms of external appearance, was not up to the standard because of pod stalks, but might be acceptable for "boiled peanuts". for the seed tests, in general, the quality of peanut seeds obtained from both pod stripper was slightly lower than seeds stripped by the manual method. However, the quality of seeds obtained from the rubber bands type oad stripper, in many cases, was not significantly different from that of the manual method. This showed that this particular pod stripper had a potential for further improvement.