Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2008
Clearing cotton stalks after picking is enforced by law in the Sudan to stop the spread of black-arm and leaf curl diseases. The magnitude of pull and lift requirements to uproot a single plant are important parameters in designing an efficient stalk-pulling machine. With the help of a specially built apparatus, 186 plants selected at random were uprooted and measurements of the magnitude of pull and plant lift were recorded. A magnitude of 121 kg pull, accompanied by a short lift of 4·9 cm, were found necessary to loosen all plants completely. Investigations have also included the percentage of plants pulled and their root dimensions in relation to the yield point.