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(Created page with "<div> <div class="title"><h1>1.5 - Jab seed planter</h1><br><h3 class="ch-owner">Mitchell van Schepen, University of Guelph, Canada</h3></div> <div class="ch-navber" style="display: flex; justify-content: space-between;"> <div class="center-side" style="max-width: 100%;margin-right: 3%;"> <div style="margin-top: 30px;"> <h3 class="title-bg">Background</h3> <div class="cont-bg"> <p>The world’s 1 billion women and girls participating in...")
 
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  <div class="title"><h1>1.5 - Jab seed planter</h1><br><h3 class="ch-owner">Mitchell van Schepen, University of Guelph, Canada</h3></div>
  <div class="title"><h3>1.5 - Evaluation of Low-Cost Fanning Mills for Cleaning Seed</h3><br><h3 class="ch-owner">Jordan Garlough, University of Guelph, Canada</h3></div>
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<p>Suggested citation for this chapter.</p>
<p>Garlough,J. (2022) Evaluation of Low-Cost Fanning Mills for Cleaning Seed. In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org</p>
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Background</h3>
       <h1 class="title-bg">Challenges of Cleaning Seed</h1>
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           <p>The world’s 1 billion women and girls participating in subsistence farming pull weeds by hand to improve their crops and also collect firewood for cooking, resulting in their hands becoming rough and sore (Figure 1). This can be caused by wood splinters being lodged into their skin (Schaffner, 2013). Pulling weeds for hours on end can peel away layers of skin (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). The hands of those farmers can also become dirty and smelly from planting seeds in the soil or spreading manure by hand. To avoid the common aforementioned problems as well as hand injuries, such as cuts and scrapes, they could wear gloves on their hands, see the second picture, (Schaffner, 2013). Gloves are very common in the modern world and can be used for construction, farming, and medical practices. Gloves provide a durable layer between the skin on your hands and whatever you are working with (Espasandín-Arias & Goossens, 2014). There are a few different materials used to make gloves, along with different sizes and grips. With over one billion women and girls working on farms around the world, this grueling work can be made safer and more efficient when wearing gloves.</p>
           <p>Traditional cleaning of seeds from cereals such as rice, barley, and wheat is done through a series of different steps. Threshing is the separation of seeds from straw, husk, leaves, etc. (Slate Run Farm Posts, 2017). This can be done in a variety of ways such as beating the grain heads on the floor, having livestock walk on the grain, or even spreading it out on the road so that cars will separate the seed when they drive over it (Slate Run Farm Posts, 2017). This process is time-consuming and can require multiple people to get it done in a timely manner. Wind winnowing is the next process in which the chaff is removed from the seeds. In strong enough wind, the mix remaining after threshing is tossed into the air (India Environment Portal, 1998). The light-weight chaff is blown away leaving the heavier seeds. This can be done using a shovel, winnowing fork, or by hand using natural wind or a winnowing fan can be used to create wind (India Environment Portal, 1998). This can be time-consuming as it takes at least one person to be constantly working. Additionally, this cannot be done anytime. If there are no winds, then the seed and chaff will simply fall to the ground unseparated. Should there be too much wind, the seeds and chaff will all blow away. A winnowing fan allows the creation of the right wind speed for this process the be done effectively (Garlough, 2021). On the downside, the winnowing fan requires a person to operate it-making the minimum number of people involved two. A simple sieve or mesh can then be used to separate healthy seeds and any remaining chaff. This process is simple and cost-effective, as plastic meshes/sieves can be purchased for about one dollar. These processes are effective in separating seeds and grains however, they can be very time-consuming. The use of a fanning mill could greatly decrease the time the seed cleaning process takes.</p>
 
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          <p>Rubber and cloth are the two main kinds of gloves produced (Melco, 2016). They both have their own benefits and drawbacks respectively. A benefit from rubber gloves is their ability to resist water from coming in contact with a farmer's skin, see part two, (Espasandín-Arias & Goossens, 2014). While cloth gloves can be beneficial because they can draw moisture away from their hands and can be easily washed to be cleaned. Because rubber gloves are usually meant to be disposed of after single use they tend to be cheaper to make and thus cheaper to buy. Yet some rubber gloves can be made thicker to reuse and are slightly more durable (Melco, 2016). Cloth gloves are designed to be washed after being used and last a long time under normal working conditions.</p>
 
          <p>Along with the different materials gloves are made of, there are also different arm lengths. Some gloves are cut off just in front or around the wrist. While others can be up to and over the elbow and everywhere in between (Melco, 2016). The benefits of the shorter gloves is comfort, no bunching around wrist or elbow, and they can be quickly put on or removed. The benefits of the long gloves are more protection, the entire forearm will be covered. All the while there is less of a chance of getting debris in their gloves because the opening is farther away from what you are working with. Farmers can also work in deeper water or mud with the long rubber gloves without getting your hands wet.</p>
 
          <p>When working with smooth items such as hoes and some fruits and vegetables they can be slippery (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). A way to help farmer's hold on to the tools is to get gloves with grips (Melco, 2016). Both rubber and cloth gloves can have grips. Rubber gloves will have ridges in the molds to form grips and granular materials can be added to the outside before drying (Melco, 2016). Another option is to make the rubber gloves out of a non-slip rubber (Melco, 2016). Because cloth alone does not provide grip, cloth gloves must be dipped in liquid rubber to be able to grip smooth objects. The rubber used for grips on cloth gloves can either be non-slip smooth rubber or be rigid (Melco, 2016). </p>
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       <h1 class="title-bg">What is a Fanning Mill</h1>
       <h3 class="title-bg">Physical Protection</h3>
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          <p>Protection is the main benefit from using gloves. Repetitive motions, such as when pounding grain, can cause irritation to the skin. When collecting firewood the sticks and logs can scratch or cut the skin (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). Weeds can be rough and by scratching their hands many times they can become cut and sore (Espasandín-Arias & Goossens, 2014). By lifting and pulling heavy items the top layer of your skin will separate from the next, causing a blister, by wearing gloves they now will prevent blistering because the glove will act as the top layer of skin and prevent the actual skin from separating (Schaffner, 2013). Manure has a lot of bacteria in it which are harmful if they are swallow, so keeping them away from the hands used to eat with is very beneficial (Furlong, et al., 2015). If farmers are working with firewood or in construction the cloth gloves will work better because they are more durable (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). The disposable rubber gloves would be the worst to use in this scenario because they are so thin, stick to jobs were the main goals are to keep hands dry and dirt free when using disposable rubber gloves.</p>
<p>The fanning mill is a machine that makes use of a fan and a series of different sized meshes and grates to separate healthy seeds, diseased seeds, and chaff (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Fanning mills can be operated with a crank, with an individual turning it, or with an electric motor to do the work for you. The crank or motor is used to turn the fan and shake the grates (Garlough, 2021). The unsorted seeds are dumped in the hopper where they are slowly released into the machine. The seeds are slowly released on the shaking grates where they are blown down the machine by the wind created by the fan (Garlough, 2021). This will allow the seeds to be separated from the chaff due to the difference in weight (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Due to the lightweight and larger size of the chaff, it is unable to fall through the grate with the seeds and is easily blown out of the machine by the fan (Garlough, 2021). In addition to the removal of the chaff, diseased and damaged seeds are also removed. Diseased seeds are often lighter than healthy seeds and as a result, are blown away with the chaff (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Damaged seeds can sometimes make it through the first shaking grate but are removed once they reach the second, finer, grate. The healthy seeds are then collected in a bag, trough, or bucket depending on the make and style of the machine (Garlough, 2021).</p>
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       <h1 class="title-bg">Use of the Fanning Mill to Remove Diseased Seed</h1>
       <h3 style="background: #FBB03B;padding: 15px;font-weight: 600;color: #000;font-size: 22px;margin:unset;text-align:center;">Defense Against Moisture and Chemicals</h3>
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<p>Smallholder farmers often face the difficulty of diseased crops. Bunts and smuts are a concern for these farmers in Africa as they can greatly reduce yield of a crop and its value and marketability if not dealt with correctly (Agricultural Research Council, n.d.). There is a seed treatment process that is available to prevent bunts and smuts (Agricultural Research Council, n.d.), however, farmers looking to save money or farmers who cannot afford to have their seeds treated may have their crops infected. These diseases can be dealt with using a fanning mill. Bunts and smut balls can be removed during the fanning process along with the chaff and anything else unwanted (Garlough, 2021). In addition to the balls being removed, diseased seeds will be blown, filtered, and separated in the milling process as well.</p>
          <p>Moisture blocking is a way gloves can prevent your skin from drying out and from getting too wet and dehydrating farmer's hands. By keeping the moisture from the hands inside the gloves they will prevent the skin from cracking and becoming infected (Schaffner, 2013). As well when working in wet conditions your hands can shrivel and become dehydrated if they are constantly in contact with water.</p>
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          <p>Pesticides can be absorbed by your skin and become harmful to the body, gloves provide an extra barrier to block them from entering in a farmer's body (Furlong, et al., 2015). Fertilizers such as nitrogen can also be caustic, and these are usually spread through broadcasting by hand. Mud can get under your nails and into cracked or cut skin and can infect a farmer's hands. Gloves will keep the mud out and keep hands clean. Both liquid pesticides and dry fertilizers can irritate skin if they come into contact with it (Kim, et al., 2013). Wearing the proper gloves, rubber ones in this case, can save their hands from becoming itchy (Keeble et al., 1996). Human skin can also absorb the pesticides which are harmful to your body, wearing gloves would prevent the pesticides from ever touching your skin.</p>
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       <h1 class="title-bg">Cost / Benefit and Critical Analysis</h1>
       <h3 class="title-bg">Wearable</h3>
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          <p>Comfortable gloves help farmer's work longer because their hands will not hurt from completing your task. Sizing is very important when finding comfortable gloves (Melco, 2016). Make sure gloves are the proper length and width, as not to restrict movement. There will be less pain from pulling weeds and they will be able to pull more weeds because they would not have to wait a long for the pain to subside between pulling each weed, because there will be no pain if wearing gloves (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). If farmer's find they are working hard and their hands start to sweat the gloves should be removed , dry your hands, and put on a new pair. Cloth gloves are more breathable then rubber ones, using them is another way to prevent hands from getting sweaty. The cloth gloves can also be softer and easier to clean, but are more restricting to movement due to their durability and tougher material. Since children will also be farming, smaller glove sizes can be found. Gloves are designed to fit a farmer's hand snugly, so children should not wear adult sized gloves when working. </p>
<p>A fanning mill would prove to be very beneficial to smallholder farmers. It can help farmers save money and avoid losing crops to disease by getting rid of diseased seeds in the milling process. The price of a fanning mill can still be considerable for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Despite fanning mills being expensive for farmers, there are opportunities for them to obtain financial aid. A few of these options are purchasing through a farmer cooperative or a women’s farmer group or making use of a local fee-for-service entrepreneur who will sell the use of their fanning mill. Farmers could also make use of 50:50 cost sharing with their government or seek out a micro-loan program to assist in the purchase of a fanning mill. It is possible that a community of farmers could all split the cost of one of these machines. This would allow many of the farmers within the community access to more efficient methods of cleaning seeds and benefit everyone. However, the heavy weight of these machines can make transportation to rural mountainous areas very difficult. Literacy is also a requirement as these machines require considerable training to operate effectively. Manuals must also be in the local language if they are to be of any use to the farmers.</p>
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<p>The cost of fanning mills can be expensive for smallholder farmers.  However, the benefits of using a fanning mill would be considerable as it would save crops from disease and save a lot of time that would have been used separating seeds using more traditional methods. On average, woman can winnow 10 – 30 kilograms of grain each day (Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d.), while a fanning mill can clean 500 kg of seed per hour with one operator (Sun Agro, n.d.). In one hour, a fanning mill can clean between 16 and 50 times more seeds than one woman can in a day. One hour of running the fanning mill could save 16 to 50 days of work for these women farmers. This is an incredible time saver and will allow these women to perform other tasks with their time.</p>
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<p>Compared to traditional methods of cleaning seed, Figure 1 shows three different fan options. The winnowing fan, Option 1, is a manual fan attached to a crank that can be turned at various speeds to allow another person to clean the seeds. This could be a good option as it does not require waiting for winds strong/weak enough to clean seeds using natural winds (Benson, n.d.). However, it is a two-person job because one person must be operating the fan. By contrast, the small fanning mill (Option 2) is operated using a small crank that generates electricity to power the mill (Sun Agro, n.d.). It can be operated continuously and by a single person. It is a more expensive option, and it is unlikely that many smallholder farmers will be able to purchase one on their own. The last option (Option 3), the fanning mill, is a much larger and more expensive version of the small fanning mill. It is purely electric and can process 4 times the amount of grain as the latter (Meena Industries, n.d.). It is very unlikely that any individual farmer would be able to purchase one on their own.</p>
<p>The fanning mills shown are electric, however, there are options that do not require electricity that would allow farmers to cut down costs of these machines (Garlough, 2021). A manual fanning mill operating by a crank would cost less due to the mill having no electric motor or any electricity requirement for the machine to operate (Garlough, 2021). Furthermore, any expensive motor repairs could be avoided using a manual fanning mill (Garlough, 2021). The development of solar powered technology is much needed and would be massively beneficial in reducing operating costs. Additionally, fanning mills can also make use of a combustion engine as opposed to an electric engine. This would allow farmers who are no connected to a grid to uses powered fanning mills as well.</p>
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       <h1 class="title-bg">Practical Resources to Get Started</h1>
       <h3 class="title-bg">Constraints To Adoption</h3>
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          <p>Gloves are very useful to farmers, but there can still be some drawbacks. Possible culturable taboos might vary from location to location. Gloves might seem feminine and not easily adopted by men in the community. Gloves act as a second, tougher skin, but they are not a farmer's skin and can slide around while working. This may feel odd and uncomfortable but farmers can get used to the new feeling over time. Gloves can come in many colours and thicknesses, which may make a farmer's hands look funny or larger. Human skin is very stretchy and flexible, while glove materials tend to be tougher than skin and will reduce movement, but not enough to hinder work. Rubber gloves can stretch well, but make hands sweat, while cloth gloves are breathable but reduce dexterity.</p>
<p>https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/manual-winnowing-fan-8872939673.html
          <p>Farmers can find gloves to use and get started from local vendors (European Commission For The Control Of Foot-And-Mouth Disease, 2016). Once you have completed your work for the day you can clean them are reuse them, or dispose of them if they were ripped or torn (Kim, et al., 2013). You can get gloves made of rubber and like materials as well as ones made of durable cloths. The thin rubber gloves tend to be made for a single use only. A trick that the European Commission For The Control Foot-And-Mouth Disease mentions that you can wear two pairs of rubber gloves at the same time for extra protection (European Commission For The Control Of Foot-And-Mouth Disease, 2016).</p>
-Link to Winnowing Fan</p>
<p>https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/agriculture-winnowing-fan-22225305788.html
-Link to Small Fanning Mill</p>
<p>https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/winnowing-fan-22051556262.html
-Link to Fanning Mill</p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zKhdxk23LI
-Video of Fanning Mill Working</p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnkqOpHP6Q
-Video of Alternate Fanning Mill Working</p>
<p>https://www.flamangrainsystems.com/pdfs/downloads/Link-Fanning-Mill.pdf
-Training Manual / Setup Guide for Link Fanning Mill</p>
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       <h3 class="title-bg">Helpful Links To Get Started </h3>
       <h1 class="title-bg">References</h1>
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           <p>Here are websites to find more information about how to obtain gloves:</p>
           <p>1. Agricultural Research Council. (n.d.). Small Grain Diseases. Retrieved from Agricultural Research Council, South Africa: https://www.arc.agric.za/arc-sgi/Pages/Crop%20Protection/Small-Grain-Diseases.aspx</p>
          <p>[https://www.alibaba.com/ Alibaba]</p>
<p>2. Benson. (n.d.). Benson Mild Steel Manual Winnowing Fan. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/manual-winnowing-fan-8872939673.html</p>
          <p>[https://www.indiamart.com/ Indiamart]</p>
<p>3. Cleaveland, N. S. (n.d.). Fanning-mill. Retrieved from Pioneergirl: http://www.pioneergirl.com/blog/archives/6013.</p>
          <p>[http://www.store.nzfarmsource.co.nz/ Store Nzfarmsource]</p>
<p>4. DanDem34 (Director). (2016). Chatham Fanning Mill [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnkqOpHP6Q</p>
          <p>[https://www.adenna.com Adenna]</p>
<p>5. Flaman Grain Systems. (n.d.). Link Fanning Mill. Flaman Grain Systems. Retrieved from https://www.flamangrainsystems.com/pdfs/downloads/Link-Fanning-Mill.pdf</p>
          <p>[https://www.farmcity.co.za/ Farmcity]</p>
<p>6. Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved from Technical Alternatives: https://www.fao.org/3/t1838e/T1838E0p.htm</p>
          <p>[https://www.crazystore.co.za/ Crazystore]</p>
<p>7. Garlough, G. (2021, September 30). Former Onterio Federation of Agriculture Director for Dundas County, Ontario, Canada. (J. Garlough, Interviewer)</p>
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<p>8. Hutchins, C. A. (1871, November 7). Improvement in Fanning Mills. Retrieved from United States Patent Office: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/8ee4d5ab980512b6b705/US120745.pdf</p>
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<p>9. India Environment Portal. (1998, November 14). Winnowing mad easy. Retrieved from India Environment Portal: http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/30931/</p>
<p>10. Lacey, J. (2002, September 1). The Fanning Mill. Retrieved from Farm Collector: https://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/fanning-mill/</p>
<p>11. Meena Industries. (n.d.). Iron Automatic Winnowing Fan, 1HP, Single Phase. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/winnowing-fan-22051556262.html</p>
<p>12. Shuda, M. (Director). (2015). Hero fanning mill cleaning oats [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zKhdxk23LI</p>
<p>13. Slate Run Farm Posts. (2017, June 21). Threshing is done the old-fashioned way at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Retrieved from Metro Parks: https://www.metroparks.net/blog/threshing/</p>
<p>14. Sun Agro. (n.d.). Sun Agro Mild Steel Agriculture Winnowing Fan, 1 HP, Electric. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/agriculture-winnowing-fan-22225305788.html</p>
<p>15. The Globe and Mail. (1920, December 17). Fanning mill checks disease: By Removal of Light Seeds and Dirt It Saves Millions of Dollars. Retrieved from The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1356515940/fulltextPDF/44E0CCAF70E14C3APQ/1?accountid=11233</p>


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      <h3 class="title-bg">References</h3>
        <div class="cont-bg">
          <p>Espasandín-Arias, M., & Goossens, A. (2014). Natural rubber gloves might not protect against skin penetration of methylisothiazolinone. Contact Dermatitis, 70(4), 249-251. doi:10.1111/cod.12221</p>
          <p>European Commission For The Control Of Foot-And-Mouth Disease. Suggested FMD PPE guidelines - Food and Agriculture, (2016)
          Food and Agriculture Organization. Rural women in household production: Increasing contributions and persisting drudgery. (2016).
          </p>
          <p>Furlong, M., Tanner, C. M., Goldman, S. M., Bhudhikanok, G. S., Blair, A., Chade, A., . . . Kamel, F. (2015). Protective glove use and hygiene habits modify the associations of specific pesticides with Parkinson's disease. Environment International, 75, 144-150. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2014.11.002</p>
          <p>Keeble, V. B., Correll, L., & Ehrich, M. (1996). Effect of Laundering on Ability of Glove Fabrics to Decrease the Penetration of Organophosphate Insecticides Through in vitro Epidermal Systems. J. Appl. Toxicol. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 16(5), 401-406. doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1263(199609)16:53.3.co;2-6</p>
          <p>Kim, J., Kim, J., Cha, E., Ko, Y., Kim, D., & Lee, W. (2013). Work-Related Risk Factors by Severity for Acute Pesticide Poisoning Among Male Farmers in South Korea. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(3), 1100-1112. doi:10.3390/ijerph10031100</p>
          <p>Melco, M. (2016). Gardening Gloves. Retrieved from [http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_Gloves Garden Lovetoknow]</p>
          <p>Schaffner, A. D. (2013). Minimizing Surgical Skin Incision Scars with a Latex Surgical Glove. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 37(2), 463-463. doi:10.1007/s00266-013-0071-y</p>
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Latest revision as of 13:23, 19 August 2024

1.5 - Evaluation of Low-Cost Fanning Mills for Cleaning Seed


Jordan Garlough, University of Guelph, Canada

Img 5 1.jpeg

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Garlough,J. (2022) Evaluation of Low-Cost Fanning Mills for Cleaning Seed. In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Challenges of Cleaning Seed

Traditional cleaning of seeds from cereals such as rice, barley, and wheat is done through a series of different steps. Threshing is the separation of seeds from straw, husk, leaves, etc. (Slate Run Farm Posts, 2017). This can be done in a variety of ways such as beating the grain heads on the floor, having livestock walk on the grain, or even spreading it out on the road so that cars will separate the seed when they drive over it (Slate Run Farm Posts, 2017). This process is time-consuming and can require multiple people to get it done in a timely manner. Wind winnowing is the next process in which the chaff is removed from the seeds. In strong enough wind, the mix remaining after threshing is tossed into the air (India Environment Portal, 1998). The light-weight chaff is blown away leaving the heavier seeds. This can be done using a shovel, winnowing fork, or by hand using natural wind or a winnowing fan can be used to create wind (India Environment Portal, 1998). This can be time-consuming as it takes at least one person to be constantly working. Additionally, this cannot be done anytime. If there are no winds, then the seed and chaff will simply fall to the ground unseparated. Should there be too much wind, the seeds and chaff will all blow away. A winnowing fan allows the creation of the right wind speed for this process the be done effectively (Garlough, 2021). On the downside, the winnowing fan requires a person to operate it-making the minimum number of people involved two. A simple sieve or mesh can then be used to separate healthy seeds and any remaining chaff. This process is simple and cost-effective, as plastic meshes/sieves can be purchased for about one dollar. These processes are effective in separating seeds and grains however, they can be very time-consuming. The use of a fanning mill could greatly decrease the time the seed cleaning process takes.

What is a Fanning Mill

The fanning mill is a machine that makes use of a fan and a series of different sized meshes and grates to separate healthy seeds, diseased seeds, and chaff (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Fanning mills can be operated with a crank, with an individual turning it, or with an electric motor to do the work for you. The crank or motor is used to turn the fan and shake the grates (Garlough, 2021). The unsorted seeds are dumped in the hopper where they are slowly released into the machine. The seeds are slowly released on the shaking grates where they are blown down the machine by the wind created by the fan (Garlough, 2021). This will allow the seeds to be separated from the chaff due to the difference in weight (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Due to the lightweight and larger size of the chaff, it is unable to fall through the grate with the seeds and is easily blown out of the machine by the fan (Garlough, 2021). In addition to the removal of the chaff, diseased and damaged seeds are also removed. Diseased seeds are often lighter than healthy seeds and as a result, are blown away with the chaff (The Globe and Mail, 1920). Damaged seeds can sometimes make it through the first shaking grate but are removed once they reach the second, finer, grate. The healthy seeds are then collected in a bag, trough, or bucket depending on the make and style of the machine (Garlough, 2021).

Use of the Fanning Mill to Remove Diseased Seed

Smallholder farmers often face the difficulty of diseased crops. Bunts and smuts are a concern for these farmers in Africa as they can greatly reduce yield of a crop and its value and marketability if not dealt with correctly (Agricultural Research Council, n.d.). There is a seed treatment process that is available to prevent bunts and smuts (Agricultural Research Council, n.d.), however, farmers looking to save money or farmers who cannot afford to have their seeds treated may have their crops infected. These diseases can be dealt with using a fanning mill. Bunts and smut balls can be removed during the fanning process along with the chaff and anything else unwanted (Garlough, 2021). In addition to the balls being removed, diseased seeds will be blown, filtered, and separated in the milling process as well.

Cost / Benefit and Critical Analysis

A fanning mill would prove to be very beneficial to smallholder farmers. It can help farmers save money and avoid losing crops to disease by getting rid of diseased seeds in the milling process. The price of a fanning mill can still be considerable for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Despite fanning mills being expensive for farmers, there are opportunities for them to obtain financial aid. A few of these options are purchasing through a farmer cooperative or a women’s farmer group or making use of a local fee-for-service entrepreneur who will sell the use of their fanning mill. Farmers could also make use of 50:50 cost sharing with their government or seek out a micro-loan program to assist in the purchase of a fanning mill. It is possible that a community of farmers could all split the cost of one of these machines. This would allow many of the farmers within the community access to more efficient methods of cleaning seeds and benefit everyone. However, the heavy weight of these machines can make transportation to rural mountainous areas very difficult. Literacy is also a requirement as these machines require considerable training to operate effectively. Manuals must also be in the local language if they are to be of any use to the farmers.

The cost of fanning mills can be expensive for smallholder farmers. However, the benefits of using a fanning mill would be considerable as it would save crops from disease and save a lot of time that would have been used separating seeds using more traditional methods. On average, woman can winnow 10 – 30 kilograms of grain each day (Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d.), while a fanning mill can clean 500 kg of seed per hour with one operator (Sun Agro, n.d.). In one hour, a fanning mill can clean between 16 and 50 times more seeds than one woman can in a day. One hour of running the fanning mill could save 16 to 50 days of work for these women farmers. This is an incredible time saver and will allow these women to perform other tasks with their time.

Capture 302.JPG

Compared to traditional methods of cleaning seed, Figure 1 shows three different fan options. The winnowing fan, Option 1, is a manual fan attached to a crank that can be turned at various speeds to allow another person to clean the seeds. This could be a good option as it does not require waiting for winds strong/weak enough to clean seeds using natural winds (Benson, n.d.). However, it is a two-person job because one person must be operating the fan. By contrast, the small fanning mill (Option 2) is operated using a small crank that generates electricity to power the mill (Sun Agro, n.d.). It can be operated continuously and by a single person. It is a more expensive option, and it is unlikely that many smallholder farmers will be able to purchase one on their own. The last option (Option 3), the fanning mill, is a much larger and more expensive version of the small fanning mill. It is purely electric and can process 4 times the amount of grain as the latter (Meena Industries, n.d.). It is very unlikely that any individual farmer would be able to purchase one on their own.

The fanning mills shown are electric, however, there are options that do not require electricity that would allow farmers to cut down costs of these machines (Garlough, 2021). A manual fanning mill operating by a crank would cost less due to the mill having no electric motor or any electricity requirement for the machine to operate (Garlough, 2021). Furthermore, any expensive motor repairs could be avoided using a manual fanning mill (Garlough, 2021). The development of solar powered technology is much needed and would be massively beneficial in reducing operating costs. Additionally, fanning mills can also make use of a combustion engine as opposed to an electric engine. This would allow farmers who are no connected to a grid to uses powered fanning mills as well.

References

1. Agricultural Research Council. (n.d.). Small Grain Diseases. Retrieved from Agricultural Research Council, South Africa: https://www.arc.agric.za/arc-sgi/Pages/Crop%20Protection/Small-Grain-Diseases.aspx

2. Benson. (n.d.). Benson Mild Steel Manual Winnowing Fan. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/manual-winnowing-fan-8872939673.html

3. Cleaveland, N. S. (n.d.). Fanning-mill. Retrieved from Pioneergirl: http://www.pioneergirl.com/blog/archives/6013.

4. DanDem34 (Director). (2016). Chatham Fanning Mill [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnkqOpHP6Q

5. Flaman Grain Systems. (n.d.). Link Fanning Mill. Flaman Grain Systems. Retrieved from https://www.flamangrainsystems.com/pdfs/downloads/Link-Fanning-Mill.pdf

6. Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved from Technical Alternatives: https://www.fao.org/3/t1838e/T1838E0p.htm

7. Garlough, G. (2021, September 30). Former Onterio Federation of Agriculture Director for Dundas County, Ontario, Canada. (J. Garlough, Interviewer)

8. Hutchins, C. A. (1871, November 7). Improvement in Fanning Mills. Retrieved from United States Patent Office: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/8ee4d5ab980512b6b705/US120745.pdf

9. India Environment Portal. (1998, November 14). Winnowing mad easy. Retrieved from India Environment Portal: http://indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/30931/

10. Lacey, J. (2002, September 1). The Fanning Mill. Retrieved from Farm Collector: https://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/fanning-mill/

11. Meena Industries. (n.d.). Iron Automatic Winnowing Fan, 1HP, Single Phase. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/winnowing-fan-22051556262.html

12. Shuda, M. (Director). (2015). Hero fanning mill cleaning oats [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zKhdxk23LI

13. Slate Run Farm Posts. (2017, June 21). Threshing is done the old-fashioned way at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Retrieved from Metro Parks: https://www.metroparks.net/blog/threshing/

14. Sun Agro. (n.d.). Sun Agro Mild Steel Agriculture Winnowing Fan, 1 HP, Electric. Retrieved from Indiamart: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/agriculture-winnowing-fan-22225305788.html

15. The Globe and Mail. (1920, December 17). Fanning mill checks disease: By Removal of Light Seeds and Dirt It Saves Millions of Dollars. Retrieved from The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1356515940/fulltextPDF/44E0CCAF70E14C3APQ/1?accountid=11233

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