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100			_aJoseph P M
245		0	_aMechanization in rubber plantations : The use of hole diggers
260			_bGlobal Competitiveness of Indian Rubber Plantation Industry : Rubber Planters Conference, India 2002. (Eds. C. Kuruvilla Jacob). Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam, Kerala, pp.88.
520			_aThe traditional system of manual digging for making pits in rubber plantations is a time consuming, laborious and expensive process. This is a field where mechanization can be successfully introduced. Pitting is done with the help of hole diggers attached to the tractors. The hole digger is connected to the power take off in the rear side of the tractor and it consists of an auger, which is rotated at a high speed to make pits of 2ft (60cm) diameter and 3ft (90cm) depth. Hole diggers are not suitable in hilly terrains and soils with hard laterite or big boulders. But medium boulders and rubber roots do not cause any hindrance. The number of pits abandoned due to the presence of boulders and roots while using hole digger is normally the same as those abandoned during manual digging. In loose soils pitting can be progress very fast and on an average 300 pits can be taken in a day. The pits made by hole diggers will be of uniform dimension. Pitting with hole diggers costs only Rs.9 to 10/-per pit whereas manual digging on contract basis cost about Rs.13 to 15/-per pit. Therefore, pitting with hole diggers results in substantial savings in time and money.
650			_aHole diggers
650			_aRubber plantations
942			_cJS
999			_c62795 _d62795