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Mechanized Soybean Planting for Increased Production and Profitability

M A Matin
Scientific Officer
FMP Engg. Division, BARI, Gazipur, Dhaka.

M Amin
Principal Scientific Officer
On-Farm Research Division, BARI, Noakhali.

M N Amin
Scientific Officer
FMP Engg. Division, BARI, Gazipur, Dhaka.

T A A Nasrin
Scientific Officer
PHT Section, HRC, BARI, Gazipur, Dhaka.

S Ahmmed
Principal Scientific Officer
Agril. Engg., BARC, Farm Gate, Dhaka.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Farm machinery is an important input for increased agricultural production and profitability. BARl- developed Power Tiller Operated Inclined Plate Planter (lPP) was tested for planting soybean in Laxmipur and Noakhali in 2006-07. The performance of the planter was evaluated and profitability of using the planter was compared with traditional practice. The average field capacity of the IPP was 0.29 ha/h and it saved about 46 percent total cost and about 85 percent labour costs over traditional practice. In addition about 30 percent yield increase was also observed in mechanical method. The price of the planter was Tk 25000. The planter can be used profitably as an attachment behind a power tiller for planting soybean in tilled soil.

Keywords: Production, Profitability, Effectiveness, Planter, Soybean

Location: BARI

Start Date: 00-00-2006

End Date: 00-00-2007

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Planter

Objectives:

To show the effectiveness of the planter among the soybean growers of the two areas.

Methodology:

BARI IPP is used as an attachment behind the power tiller after dismantling the rotavator. The width of the planter is 1.20 meter and 4 rows of soybean can be planted by the planter. All the fertilizer was applied before last pass of power tiller for land preparation. Machine planting was compared with traditional method in the two sites. In traditional method, the farmers planted soybean in four steps: (1) line marking by foot; (2) opening seed holes by gathi (made from tree branch); (3) placing seeds; and (4) covering by foot or ladders. The machine planted soybean with one pass of the machine. Appropriate metering plate was used out of three sizes suitable for the variety. No irrigation was applied, but weeded once in Uttar Kar Sufia and twice in East Char Martin both the IPP and traditional plots. In Char Martin, 10 percent seedlings were thinned out in IPP plot, but none in traditional plot. For thinning in machine planted plot, about 3.77 man-d/ha was required. Machine and crop related data were recorded. A field day was arranged in East Char Martin to show the result to neighboring farmers.

Source of Information: Joumal of Agricultural Engineering, The Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, Vol. 34/AE, pp. 25-29, June 2008

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The power tiller operated inclined plate planter was developed from locally available materials which had an average field capacity of 0.29 ha/h for soybean. It saved about 46% planting cost which included about 85% save in labour cost. The relative ease with which the mechanical planter was adjusted and maneuvered in the field suited the technical know-how of a power tiller operator. However, the profitability of using the planter as an attachment to the power tiller instead of land preparation (i.e., tilling) by the same power tiller (with its rotary tiller attachment) should be studied.

Knowledge Management: Journal