Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Ergonomic Evaluation of Pruning in Simulated Greenhouse Conditions


Affiliations
1 Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India
2 MYAS-GNDU Department of Sports Sciences and Medicine, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143 005, India
3 Department of Processing and Food Engineering, COAE&T, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004, Punjab, India
4 ACBR, University Enclave, Delhi University, New Delhi, 110007, India
 

Greenhouse is a space-efficient structure for farming. The workers stretch their bodies to perform operations away from the body and at different heights. The present study aimed to assess the physiological and postural discomfort because of the varied working heights and horizontal distances and also attempts to suggest suitable interventions to overcome them. The current study investigated the physiological and subjective measures of exertion while working at different heights (elbow height, shoulder height and above shoulder height) and horizontal distances (30, 45, 60, and 75 cm) with two different pruning tools under simulated laboratory conditions. All the physiological parameters and responses against different conditions were recorded from six male participants and analyzed as per experimental requirements. The outcome of the present study demonstrated that physiological cost and subjective measure of exertion varied significantly with the variation in heights and horizontal distances. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and perceived exertion were significantly higher “above the shoulder height” than elbow and shoulder height. Similarly, all the measured physiological parameters and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) exhibited a gradual increase with increasing the distance from the worker’s body. The study also revealed a differential effect of tools used while performing the pruning work. Further, the multiple regression analysis helped to predict Relative Cardiac Cost from RPE and other evaluated physiological parameters. Overall, findings from the current study concluded that conventional pruning activities need workspace optimization and ergonomic intervention to select pruning tools and achieve the desired productivity with minimum Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

Keywords

Ergonomics, Greenhouse Farming, Physical Exertion, Physiology, Working Heights.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Roble Cuesta (releases 2019) Global Greenhouse Statistics. (2019). GIE Media. https://www.producegrower.com/news/cuesta-roble-2019-global-greenhouse-statistics/. https://www.producegrower.com/article/cuesta-roble-2019-global-greenhouse-statistics/, (accessed on 1st August 2022)

  • National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (Government of India), 2017.

  • Choudhary B R & Verma A K, Prospects of Protected Cultivation in Hot Arid Region (Technical Bulletin No. 69), ICAR-Central Institute for Arid Horticulture (CIAH) Bikaner, India), 2018.

  • López-Aragón L, López-Liria R, Callejón-Ferre Á J & Pérez-Alonso J, Musculoskeletal disorders of agricultural workers in the greenhouses of Almería (Southeast Spain), Saf Sci, 109 (2018) 219–235, ISSN 0925-7535, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.05.023.

  • Balaguier R, Madeleine P, Hlavackova P, Rose-dulcina K, Diot B & Vuillerme N, Self-reported pain and trunk posture during pruning activity among vineyard workers at the Chateau Larose-Trintaudon, In 11th Int Symp Human Factors Organiz Design Manag (ODAM) (International Ergonomics Association) 2014, 965–970.

  • Meyers J M, Miles J A, Tejeda D G, Faucett J, Janowitz I, Weber E, Smith R & Garcia L, Priority risk factors for back injury in agricultural field work, J Agromedicine, 9(24) (2004) 33–48.

  • Kirk P M & Parker R J, Heart rate strain in New Zealand manual tree pruners, Int J Ind Ergon, 18(4) (1996) 317–324.

  • Kato A E, Fathallah F A, Miles J A, Meyers J M, Faucett J, Janowitz I & Garcia E G, Ergonomic evaluation of wine grape trellis systems pruning operation, J Agric Saf Health, 12(1) (2006) 17–28, doi: 10.13031/2013.20199. PMID: 16536170.

  • Haapalainen M & Mattila M (2000), Ergonomic design of non-powered hand tools: An application of quality function deployment (QFD), Occup Ergonomics, 2(3) 179–189.

  • Roquelaure Y, Gabignon Y & Gillant J C, Transient hand anesthesia as in vineyard workers of Champagne, Am J Ind Med, 40 (2001) 639–645.

  • Roquelaure Y, Dussolier G & Dano C, Biomechanical strain on the hand–wrist system during grapevine pruning, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 75 (2002) 591–595.

  • Wakula J, Beckman T, Hett M & Landau K, Ergonomic analysis of grapevine pruning and wine harvesting to define work and hand tools design requirements, Occup Ergon, 2(3) (2000) 151–161.

  • Costa G, Berti F & Betta A, Physiological cost of apple-farming activities, Appl Ergo, 20(4) (1989) 281–286.

  • Brumitt J, Reisch R, Krasnoselsky K, Welch A, Rutt R, Garside L I & McKay C, Self-reported musculoskeletal pain in Latino vineyard workers, J Agromedicine, 6(1) (2011) 72–80.


Abstract Views: 116

PDF Views: 75




  • Ergonomic Evaluation of Pruning in Simulated Greenhouse Conditions

Abstract Views: 116  |  PDF Views: 75

Authors

Adarsh Kumar
Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India
Anilendu Pramanik
MYAS-GNDU Department of Sports Sciences and Medicine, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143 005, India
Ravindra Kumar Tiwari
Department of Processing and Food Engineering, COAE&T, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004, Punjab, India
Sudeshna Das
ACBR, University Enclave, Delhi University, New Delhi, 110007, India

Abstract


Greenhouse is a space-efficient structure for farming. The workers stretch their bodies to perform operations away from the body and at different heights. The present study aimed to assess the physiological and postural discomfort because of the varied working heights and horizontal distances and also attempts to suggest suitable interventions to overcome them. The current study investigated the physiological and subjective measures of exertion while working at different heights (elbow height, shoulder height and above shoulder height) and horizontal distances (30, 45, 60, and 75 cm) with two different pruning tools under simulated laboratory conditions. All the physiological parameters and responses against different conditions were recorded from six male participants and analyzed as per experimental requirements. The outcome of the present study demonstrated that physiological cost and subjective measure of exertion varied significantly with the variation in heights and horizontal distances. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and perceived exertion were significantly higher “above the shoulder height” than elbow and shoulder height. Similarly, all the measured physiological parameters and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) exhibited a gradual increase with increasing the distance from the worker’s body. The study also revealed a differential effect of tools used while performing the pruning work. Further, the multiple regression analysis helped to predict Relative Cardiac Cost from RPE and other evaluated physiological parameters. Overall, findings from the current study concluded that conventional pruning activities need workspace optimization and ergonomic intervention to select pruning tools and achieve the desired productivity with minimum Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

Keywords


Ergonomics, Greenhouse Farming, Physical Exertion, Physiology, Working Heights.

References