M A Wohabr
Senior Scientific officer
FMP Engineering Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701.
S Ahmmedland
Senior Scientific officer
FMP Engineering Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701.
M N Amin
Scientific Officer
FMP Engineering Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701.
A T M Ziauddin
Professor
Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202.
K C Roya
Chief Scientific officer
FMP Engineering Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701.
Minimum tillage seeder, Multi-crop, Wheat, Paddy, Mungbean and Jute
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur.
Farm Mechanization
The experiment was carried out in the division of Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur during 2002-2003. Design consideration: The Important factors considered in the design of the seeder were as follows:The seeder should be capable to sow both small (jute) and large (wheat) seeds. *It should be multirow having facilities to adjust any row spacing between 20 to 30 cm and sowing depth. * Tilling and sowing should be done simultaneously in single operation. *The machine should be made of locally available materials with simple mechanisms. *It should be light in weight and easy to hitch at the rear of Power tiller' r The machine should be cheaper so that farmer can afford it.
Fabrication of the seeder: The seeder was fabricated with locally available materials. The different materials used in the fabrication of the seeder were: M.S. angle bar, M.S. sheet, M.S. shaft, M.S. rod, M.S. flatbar, M.S. pipe, rubber sheet, plastic tube, chain sprocket, aluminium etc. The different functional parts made with these materials were: frame, seed hopper, seed metering unit, seed delivery tubes, furrow makers, soil compaction SCALE - I :7. Top view of seeder. roller and transport wheel. The different functional parts were assembled on the main frame and the frame was attached at the rear of the rotavator with four nut bolts replacing the tail wheel.
Laboratory performance test The laboratory performance tests were conducted for the multicrop seeder in respect of:
Test of rotavator speed: It was 350 to 400 rpm, measured by a tachometer. Test of seed metering mechanism: Wheat, paddy, mungbean and jute seed rates were calibrated by metering device. Seed germination test: The percentage of seed germination was determined by using petridishes. Seed distribution test: A special sand bed was made to observe the patterns of seed delivered by the seed metering device.
Field performance test: The field performance tests of the seeder were conducted to collect data on overall machine performance, operating accuracy, field capacity and field efficiency. The soil condition of BARI experimental plots was not suitable for minimup tillage practice. The machine was tested at Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Jamalpur during the rabi season in 2002. The soil and land condition of RARS, Jamalpur was suitable for wheat under minimum tillage practice. The field test data were collected according to Regional Network for Agricultural Machinery (RNAM) test code. The test was also conducted in divisional experimental plot at BARI, Gazipur for sowing wheat and mungbean as a multicrop seeder. The land was prepared to optimum conditions for sowing. The field test for wheat was conducted during the rabi season and that for mungbean was in kharif-l. The tests were conducted and data were collected according to RNAM test code
Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh Agricultural Engineering Division, Vol. 30/AE, No. l. pp. 76-80, Dec. 2003
Journal