A Review of Decorticators for Various Industrial Crops: Design, Working Principle, and Parameters Affecting the Efficiency

Traditional knowledge in India is plenty, but its reporting for knowledge sharing is needed. A decorticator is a machine traditionally used to augment local farmers' needs. Decortication is the phenomenon of discarding the seed pods or casing and separating the seed pod or enclosure from the seed or kernel. Many developments in the decorticators have happened in the last one or two decades. They are either manually operated or power-driven. Few of the developed technologies are available in the Indian market. One of the drawbacks of these machines is their adaptability to different seeds or fruits. Efforts are made to increase the efficiency of the decorticators by reducing the drudgery and hazards. The economic aspect of the design and developments have also been looked into. Decorticator machines are available for groundnut, jatropha, nutmeg, sal, apricot, hemp, tamarind, mango stone, mahua, tung, chironji, castor, sunflower, etc. The principle of operation of all the developed decorticators is different, like the type of forces used for the removal of the seed coat. The working principle of each developed machine is highlighted in this review. The efficiency of the decorticator is dependent on many factors such as crop maturity stage, shape and size of seeds, moisture content, etc. Also, various machine parameters like feed rate, operating speed, clearance, operator’s experience, and skill will affect the efficiency of decorticators. A critical review is made to understand all the mentioned factors and their influence on decorticator efficiency. Agricultural scientists will highly benefit from this compiled review work and it will be helpful in the design and development of decorticators for any specific seeds.