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AEN 301: Farm Power and Machinery

Credit Hours: 2 (1+1)
Full Marks: 50 (Theory: 25, Practical: 25)

Course Objectives

Upon completion, students will be able to:

Understand different sources of farm power and their scope, availability, and limitations.
Learn principles of internal combustion engines and tractor systems.
Operate and manage farm machinery for tillage, sowing, planting, plant protection, harvesting, and threshing.
Understand economics, field capacity, and efficiency of farm machines.
Apply knowledge of farm mechanization in Nepalese agricultural conditions.

Sources of Farm Power: Human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, micro-hydro, biogas, solar.
Farm Mechanization in Nepal: Scope, limitations, assessment.
Internal Combustion Engines: Two-stroke/four-stroke, diesel/petrol, engine components, fuel, air, cooling, lubrication systems.
Farm Tractors: Types, control systems, transmission, clutch/brake, PTO, hydraulic/hitch systems, selection.
Tillage Implements: Primary (mouldboard plow, disc plough), secondary (harrows, cultivators, rotary tillers, rotavator), special implements (chisel plow, sub-soiler, ridger, bund former, puddler, leveler).
Sowing/Planting Machines: Seed/fertilizer drills, planters, zero-till/reduced till drills, potato/sugarcane planters, rice drum seeder, paddy transplanter.
Plant Protection Equipment: Sprayers and dusters, working principles, components, nozzles, safety.
Harvesting Machines: Indigenous tools, mowers, reapers, reaper-binders, potato diggers, threshers, maize shellers, combine harvesters.
Selection & Economics of Farm Machinery: Field capacity, efficiency, costs, feasibility of custom hiring in Nepal.

S.N.	Topic	No. of Lectures
1	Sources of farm power (human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, micro-hydro, biogas, solar); Farm mechanization in Nepal	1
2	Assessment of farm power sources in Nepal	2
3	Internal combustion engines: types, operation, components, tractor systems	2
4	Tillage and tillage implements: definition, conservation vs conventional tillage, indigenous tools	1
5	Primary and secondary tillage implements; special tools	2
6	Sowing and planting machines: drills, planters, zero/reduced tillage, seed/fertilizer metering	2
7	Plant protection equipment: sprayers, dusters, safety	1
8	Harvesting machines: indigenous tools, mowers, reapers, binders, potato digger	1
9	Threshing machines, maize sheller, combine harvester	1
10	Selection and economics of farm machinery	1
Total		15

S.N.	Topic	No. of Practicals
1	Identification of workshop tools	1
2	Identification of internal combustion engine components	1
3	Study of indigenous tillage tools and mouldboard plow	1
4	Study of disc plow and disc harrow	1
5	Study of rotary tillers and rotavator	1
6	Study of seed drills and planters; zero-till drill; seed calibration	2
7	Study of rice drum seeder and transplanter	1
8	Study of knapsack sprayers and operation	1
9	Study of power-operated reaper	1
10	Study of maize shellers and paddy/multi-crop threshers	1
11	Study of external tractor components and controls	2
12	Study of power tiller controls	1
13	Tractor and power tiller operation	1
Total		15

Jagdishwar, S. (1981). Elements of Agricultural Machinery. Agro Book Agency, Patna.
Michael, A.M., & Ojha, T.P. (2009). Principles of Agricultural Engineering (Vol. 1 & 2). Jain Brothers, New Delhi.
Nakara, C.P. (1980). Farm Machines and Equipment. Dhanpat Rai and Sons, New Delhi.
Srivastava, A.C. (1990). Elements of Farm Machinery. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Kepner, R.A., Bainer, R., & Barger, E.L. (3rd ed.). Principle of Farm Machinery. C&S Publishers, New Delhi.
Radhey Lal & Datta, A.C. Agricultural Engineering (Through Worked Examples). Saroj Publishers, Allahabad.
Liljedahl, J.B., Carleton, W.M., Turnquist, P.K., & Smith, D.W. Tractors and Their Power Units. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Gill, P.W., Smith Jr., J.H., & Ziurys, E.J. Fundamentals of Internal Combustion Engines. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Ltd., New Delhi.