E. Ikpoza

Melon seed is an important oil seed crop which serves several food purposes. Shelling of this crop is vital, prior to its vast applications. To address the challenges associated with shelling melon, a design for shelling melon seeds on a small scale was presented and evaluated. Parameters evaluated include shelling efficiency, percentage seed shelled and damaged, throughput and machine capacity.The machine was constructed using locally available materials and consists of a hopper, frame, shelling and cleaning unit. Shelling operation was carried using melon seeds of three different moisture contents(6.99, 11.90and18.32%) and at different shelling speeds of 1500 and 1450rpm, while performance evaluation were evaluated. Results obtained showed that shelling speed of 1500rpm for seed A has the best average shelling efficiency of 53.75% and least percentage seed damage of 22.6%, compared to shelling speed of 2500rpm seed B which had average shelling efficiency of 37%. This design and set of conditions selected were the most preferred because of the low-cost, rapid operation, lesser seed damage and minimal human energy expenditure. The melon seed sheller is user friendly, does not require skilled labour. The equipment design was found suitable for rural development.