Abstract
This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate the performance of a mechanized henna harvester to mitigate the challenges associated with traditional manual harvesting. Manual henna harvesting is labor-intensive, costly, and poses health risks, necessitating mechanization. To address these issues, a prototype harvester was designed with circular saw blades for efficient cutting. Field evaluations were conducted to assess harvesting efficiency, shattering losses, and field capacity at varying forward and blade speeds. The results indicated that optimal performance was achieved with a blade speed of 1200 rpm and a forward speed of 2.1 km/h, yielding a harvesting efficiency of 86.32%, minimal shattering losses of 2.14%, and a field capacity of 0.22 ha/h. Furthermore, the mechanized harvester significantly reduced operational costs, with a cost of 277 Rs/ha, representing an 80% saving compared to traditional methods. These findings demonstrate that the developed mechanized henna harvester provides a viable solution for improving harvesting efficiency and reducing labor-related challenges, thereby offering significant economic benefits to henna farmers.