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Minimum Tillage Seeding by Power Tiller Operated Seeder for Sustaining Crops Yield and Profitability

Md. Israil Hossain
Principal Scientific Offrcer
Ag. Engineer,RWRC, BARI, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

MS Islam
Director
WRC, BARI, Nashipur, Dinajpur.

NA Siddiqui
Senior Scientific officei
RWRC, BARI, Shyampur, Rajshahi.

S Ahmmeda
Chief Scientific Officer
BARC, Farmgate, Dhaka.

M Arnanulla
PHD Student
Dept. of FPM, BAU, Mymensingh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) works as shallow tilling, seeding in line, fertilizing, seed covering, and land leveling in a single pass. This tillage and seeding technique was demonstrated in different locations of northern part of Bangladesh for establishing crops in rice-wheat system. Wheat, maize, lentil and chickpea were planted after rice harvest and mungbean, sesame and jute were planted after wheat harvest using the PTOS. This seeding technique helps growers by minimizing turn around time 8-12 days between the two crops and utilizes the residual soil moisture for the next crop. This seeder maintains uniform seeding depth, uniform seed distribution and better seed-soil contact. It transfers soil moisture to the point of locations of seeds quickly for enhancing better plant establishment and yield. Application of irrigation water was faster in a PTOS system than conventional method. Planting by minimum tillage saved irrigation water ll.67o in wheat and 66% in rice cultivation. Wheat yield in the PTOS system was 25% higher over conventional seeding method. Effective field capacity and seeding cost of the seeder was 0.15 ha./hr and Tk.1585/ha, respectively which was 6T% less than conventional method. Break-even point of the seeder was 4.1 ha which indicates the critical margin of seeder annual use and one can buy a PTOS who has a minimum land of 4.1 ha.

Keywords: Seedling, Power tiller, Crop Yield

Location: Dinajpur,Takurgaon, Panchagor and Rajshahi districts.

Start Date: 00-00-2005

End Date: 00-00-2009

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Power Tiller

Objectives:

1. To increase cropping intensity by minimizing the turn-around time

2. To save irrigation water, reduce cost of cultivation, and sustain crop yield

Methodology:

The PTOS was used to maintain minimum tillage and planting of wheat, mungbean, lentil, chickpea, maize, sesame, jute, boro rice and aman rice in several farmers, fields of Dinajpur,Takurgaon, Panchagor and Rajshahi districts from 2005 to 2009. During the same time, the PTOS was also used for land preparation and maintain minimum tillage in onion fields and carrying out puddling operation with one pass in rice. At the present moment, farmers are using this device on custom hire system and are earning cash money in Panchagar, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rajshahi districts. PTOS was demonstrated by WRC, BARI in different locations to show its efficient work performance in rice-wheat cropping system. After wheat harvest, mungbean, sesame, and maize were sown and after aman rice harvest, wheat, chickpea and lentil were sown directly by the PTOS. The data on the performance of PTOS on crop establishment, crop yield, and profits were recorded.Seed calibration: Transparent polythene bags were tagged with each of the six seed delivery tubes. The strip till seeder was operated on a pre-measured 20 m travel distance with a sowing width of 120 cm, thus providing a 24 m² area coverage. After every 20 m linear distance run, collected seeds through tubes were weighed separately and the total seed weight was also measured. This method was repeated by acceleration and deceleration of the lever of seed rate control until the desired seed rate obtained. Since the seed metering device was connected by a chain -sprocket arrangement to the power tiller wheel axel, the speed of the tiller should not be a factor in calibration, unless there was excess wheel slippage.Irrigation water application Time. of irrigation water application was recorded in the farmer's field condition of Dinajpur district using a Shallow Tubewell (STW) with the discharge capacity of 20 lit/sec. Soil type of these areas was sandy loam. The data were compared with irrigation time required for conventional method.Shows in detail of the irrigation time required by PTOS and conventional method. Irrigation time and total volume of water application were considered for wheat, maize and boro rice cultivation. In Dinajpur, farmers irrigated wheat thrice and maize thrice but in boro rice average number of water application was 25 times. The number of irrigations in boro rice varied from 25 to 30 depending on soil type and water availability.It was observed that the total irrigation time required for wheat using the PTOS was 23.5 hrs/ha compared to 26.6 hrs/ha using the conventional method. This time difference was due to the reduced tillage and soil surface leveling by rolling operation using PTOS which facilitated faster flow of water and increased loss due to percolation. Water application time in maize field was 17.1 hrs/ha in both plots using PTOS and conventional method. In both systems, farmers created a furrow between the two lines during earthing up. During maize planting, PTOS created raised bed which reduced cost for earthing up and reduced labour requirement.In boro, there was, however, much irrigation time difference in crops planted by PTOS and conventional method. Total irrigation time requirement of boro rice in PTOS and conventional method were 56.7 hrs and 169.6 hrs/ha, respectively. In PTOS, there was no need puddling operation. Thus the PTOS saved irrigation time by 112.9 hrs/ha. Not only that, PTOS saved valuable diesel fuel and huge amount of groundwater. It was also observed that in dry surface under minimum tillage for rice field, there were no crack formation on the surface but in conventional puddled plots, soil surface cracked easily.

Source of Information: Journal of Agricultural Engineering, Vol-38/AE, No-2, Dec-2010

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

1. Three crops can be fitted easily in the existing rice-wheat cropping system. The PTOS can minimize the turn around time of 8-12 days.

2. Seeding under minimum tillage by using PTOS performed seeding operation directly in one operation and established crops by utilizing the residual soil moisture.

3. Uniform depth of seeding and better seed-soil contact transferred soil moisture to the point of seed placement quickly, which enhanced better seed germination.

4. Minimum tillage saved irrigation water I2% and planting cost by 67% compared to the conventional method.

5. Different crops can be established by the same PTOS and crop diversification can be achieved easily.

Knowledge Management: Journal