Analyses of garlic stem strength for development of cutting machine

The traditional method of harvesting garlic in the Republic of Korea is carried out by manually cutting the stems. With the aging agriculture manpower, mechanization is required. To develop a stem cutting machine, mechanical properties of garlic were investigated. The first and second cuts of garlic stems were tested using universal testing machine (LTCM-100, Ametek, USA) at 85%, 70%, and 60% moisture content. Also, the moisture content and thickness of the stems were analyzed using oven and Vernier calipers respectively. ANOVA in Minitab software was used for statistical analyses. The initial moisture content of the stem was 85%. The maximum cutting force at the first cut was 326.27 N at 85% moisture content and 15.87 mm diameter. The maximum cutting force at the second cut was 379.38 N at a moisture content of 85% at 17.81 mm diameter. The cutting force was 77.03 for the first cut, and 61.62 for the second cut. Results of multiple regression analyses showed F value of the primary cutting force was 63.2 and the P value of less than 0.001. The F and P values of the secondary cutting force was 35.52 and less than 0.001 respectively. Results showed that increasing the cutting force is dependent on the moisture content and diameter of the stem. The characteristics of garlic stem measured and analyzed in this study will be used for the development of a garlic stem cutter.