Circulo-respiratory efficiency in some agricultural work.

The cardio-respiratory performance of five subjects was studied in relation to two types of agricultural work, on germinating seedlings and threshing. Manual operations were compared with some simple implements. Transplanting of seedlings demanded 17.4 l/min (BTPS) pulmonary ventilation and 0.618 l/min (STPD) oxygen uptake. With the IRRI and the CRRI seeder, pulmonary ventilation and oxygen uptake were 41.9 and 39.6 l/min, and 1.910 and 1.638 l/min respectively. Pulse rate were 163 and 154 beats/min with the two seeders. The IRRI seeder required 4.1 man-hours per acre of land compared with 2.8 man-hours for the CRRI seeder. Manual threshing by beating demanded 28.1 l/min pulmonary ventilation and 0.920 l/min oxygen uptake and 135.8 pulse beats/min, the corresponding values in the case of pedal threshing were 41.2 and 1.310 l/min and 140.8 beats/min respectively. Pedal threshing is about 50% more efficient than manual threshing. However, static muscular activity is more reflected in pedal threshing than in threshing by beating.