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Performance Evaluation of a Tractor Mounted Vegetable Transplanter (2014-2015)

M S MIAH
FMPE, BARI

M A HOQUE
FMPE, BARI

K K SAHA
FMPE, BARI

N JAHAN
FMPE, BARI

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A tractor mounted vegetable transplanter performance was tested in experiments' field of Farm Machinery and Post harvest Process Engineering Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur during 2014-15. It was used for transplanting seedling of tomato and cauliflower. The average field capacity of the machine was 0.091 ha/h. It had provision for arrangement of depth of placement for different seedling. The average depth of placement were found 4.15 and 2.95 cm for tomato and cauliflower respectively. The missing and damage rate was 3%. The treatments were T₁- transplanting by tractor operated vegetable transplanter, T₂- transplanting by hand at transplanter spacing (row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 40 cm), T₃- transplanting by hand at BARI recommended spacing (row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 45 cm). There were no significant difference of yields of tomato and cauliflower among the treatments.

Keywords: Vegetable transplanter, Tractor mounted, Benefit cost

Location: Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur

Start Date: 00-00-2014

End Date: 00-00-2015

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Planter

Objectives:

a) Testing and evaluation of the vegetable transplanter b) Analyze the economic performance of the transplanter

Methodology:

A tractor mounted vegetable transplanter was imported from India (National Agro Industries) at Farm Machinery and Post-harvest Process Engineering division, BARI, Gazipur. It is used for transplanting seedling of vegetables. It consisted of two modular planting units having three point hitch, toolbar, clamps, furrow opener, covering wheel, operator’s seat, water tank, transplanting fingers, etc. It has provision for seating two operators who place the seedling on the moving chain, which carries the seedling to the planting mechanism. Two inclined wheel having a small flange at its outer periphery help in the placement of seedling and cover the soil. It was operated with a tractor of 35- 40 hp and was suitable of transplanting of vegetable seedlings like tomato, cauliflower, chilly, cabbage, brinjal, etc. The working capacity and cost of operation of the machine were 0.082-0.092ha/h and 5000-6000 BDT (Farm machinery in SAARC countries, 2012).

Theoretical field capacity of machine

Ct=nvd/10

where Ct is theoretical capacity of machine, n is the number of cultivation rows, v is the forward speed of machine and d is the distance of two rows of cultivation.

An experiment was conducted at the FMPE divisional research farm of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur during rabi season of 2014-2015. The vegetable transplanter was tested for tomato and cauliflower crop. Experiment was designed with three replications and three treatments. The treatments were T₁- Transplanting by tractor operated vegetable transplanter, T₂- Transplanting by hand at transplanter spacing(row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 40 cm), T₃- Transplanting by hand at BARI recommended spacing (row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 45 cm). The unit plot size of tomato and cauliflower were (9×3.7)m² and (8 × 6.15) m²respectively. Tomato variety BARI Tomato-8 and cauliflower variety Hamazuki were transplanted in the experiments' field. The date of transplanting of tomato and cauliflower were 09-10-14 and 12-10-14 respectively. The doses of fertilizer were applied in the experiments' field at BARI recommended rate

Source of Information: Annual Research Report, FMPE, BARI--2014-15

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The average depth of tomato seedling placements was 4.15 cm, which was suitable for plant growth as well as yield. The average percentage missing and damage rate of tomato seedling were less than 3%. The forward speed and average field capacity of the machine were 1.5 km/h and 0.091 ha/h respectively. It had provision for arrangement of depth of placement for different seedling. Where cauliflower seedling placement depth was 2.95cm. This depth of placement fit with agronomic characteristic of cauliflower. There were no significant effect on plant height among the treatments. But the plant height was observed in (T₁) transplanting by tractor operated vegetable transplanter. Different treatment had a significant effect on plant population and maximum were observed in (T₂) transplanting by hand at transplanter spacing (row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 40 cm). Number of fruit per plant and weight of fruit per plant were significant effect among the treatments. There were no significant effect on fruit length, fruit breath and yield. If there were no significant effect on yield of tomato, but maximum yield found from treatments T₁ i.e transplanting by vegetable transplanter. Because all agronomic characteristics were observed healthy in treatments T₁. Different transplanting treatment had no significant effect on plant height, but maximum plant height were observed in treatment T₃. Plant heights were almost similar in all treatments of cauliflower seedling transplanting in experiment field. There were no significant different among the all yield and yield contribution characteristic of cauliflower. The initial cost of the tractor mounted vegetable transplanter was taken as 212000 (US$ 2650). Its typical annual use would be 510 h. Assuming a ten year life, and depreciation and interest at 10% and 12% respectively. It was observed that the tractor mounted vegetable transplanter payback period is 2.11 year and benefit cost ratio (BCR) was 1.56. Average field capacity of the tractor mounted vegetable transplanter was 0.091 ha/h. In case of yield, there were no significant difference among the treatments. Maximum yield of tomato was 91.89 t/ha in tractor mounted vegetable transplanter and for cauliflower was 102.3 t/ha in transplanting by hand at transplanter spacing (row to row 60 cm and plant to plant 40 cm). Experiment will be continued for the next year for improvement of the transplanter for its better performance

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings