Adaptation and On-farm Evaluation of Tractor-Operated Teff Thresher

This study evaluates the performance of the BAERC model tractor PTO-operated teff thresher under varying operating conditions, specifically feed rate and threshing drum speed. The experiment was conducted using three levels of feed rate (22, 26, and 30 kg/min) and three drum speeds (700, 750, and 800 rpm). Key performance indicators, including threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, and seed loss percentage, were measured and analyzed using factorial ANOVA. Results indicated that both feed rate and drum speed had significant effects (p < 0.05) on threshing efficiency, while cleaning efficiency was significantly influenced by feed rate alone. The maximum threshing capacity of the machine was 553.57 kg/hr, which was obtained at maximum RPM (800) and 30 kg/min feed rate. The highest threshing efficiency (99.65%) was achieved at 800 rpm and 22 kg/min, while the cleaning efficiency decreased with increasing feed rate, particularly at lower drum speeds. Minimum seed losses were recorded at 750 rpm. The findings suggest that optimal machine performance can be achieved at moderate feed rates of 26 kg/min and drum speeds of 750 rpm, 458.4kg/hr. The grain straw ratio 1: 1.26. This study concludes that the BAERC teff thresher is technically suitable for smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia, offering a balanced trade-off between grain quality, efficiency, and throughput.