Technical dan Economical Evaluation of Unpeeled Corn Sheller

Abstract

Corn shelling in Indonesia generally carried out after the corn is peeled and dried to a moisture content of about 20%. This method requires a lot of manpower and time for peelling and drying process before shelled. In recent years, it has been developed unpeeled corn sheller, but there is limited information related to its performance. This study aimed to evaluate the technical and economical performance of unpeeled corn sheller. Testing was conducted using Sigenta variety of hybrid corn. The results showed that the machine capacity is affected by rotation speed of shelling cylinder and corn moisture content. The cleanliness of seed was above 99%, while the rate of seed damage was ranged from 1 to 3%. The maximum moisture content of corn when will be shelled should not higher than 30% in order to reduce the number of damaged seeds. The operation cost of the machine is about Rp. 45/kg, while the B/C ratio and BEP values were 1.56 and 1.89 years, respectively. The use of these machines can provide economic benefits if the minimum coverage area of crop land about 30 ha per season.