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Improvement and Validation of BARI Seeder for Grain Crops Under Different Cropping Patterns and Soil Conditions (2019-2020)

M A Hossain
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering (FMPE) Division, BARI, Gazipur

M A Hoque
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering (FMPE) Division, BARI, Gazipur

M S I Khan
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering (FMPE) Division, BARI, Gazipur

M S Hossain
Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering (FMPE) Division, BARI, Gazipur

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Timely tilling and seed sowing are a major challenge in crop production specially after harvesting of aman rice. Improve seeder (Reduced, strip and zero tillage) required single pass for completion of land preparation and sowing of seeds in line whereas power tiller required 2-3 passes for land preparation. The improved seeder was found suitable for planting different types of crops such as wheat, maize, lentil, mungbean, sunflower, cowpea, etc. During rabi 2019-20, 7.20 ha of wheat maize and lentil were planted by the improved seeder in Godagari and 3.94 ha of maize, mungbean, sunflower and cowpea were planted in Patukhali by the improved seeder. Slightly higher depth of tillage and field capacity were found in silty clayey loam soil in Patuakhali than clay loam soil in Rajshahi. The field performance of seeder was found satisfactory in both Rajshahi and Patuakhali. There were four treatments (PTOS, strip tillage, zero tillage and conventional method) in field experiments of Rajshahi and Patuakahli. Significantly the highest crop yields were found from reduced full tillage (PTOS) than strip tillage, zero tillage and conventional methods. PTOS is effective in crop planting method in all project locations. Economic analysis showed that net return came from the BARI seeder and power tiller were Taka 66664 and 24180, respectively. The payback period of seeder was 2.93 years and that of power tiller was 3.63 years. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) of BARI seeder and power tiller were 1.54 and 1.08, respectively. In four project locations (upazila), 240 operators and farmers were trained through four practical trainings on operation, repair and maintenance of improved seeder. Ten manufacturing mechanics of different workshops were trained at R. K. Metal, Faridpur. A completion workshop was arranged in BARI, Gazipur where 60 different stakeholders participated. A booklet was printed in Bangla on the introduction, operation and maintenance of the seeder. This is the final (3^rd) year report and the improved seeder is recommended for reduced tillage, strip tillage and zero tillage practices in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Seeder, Grain crops, Seeding uniformity, Stakeholders, Seed, Fuel, Fertilizers, Herbicide, Insecticide, Irrigation, Hiring labour

Location: Rajshahi and Patuakahli.

Start Date: 00-00-2019

End Date: 00-00-2020

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Seeder

Objectives:

Objectives

a) To standardize seeder for seeding of different grain crops in relation to seeding uniformity

b) To evaluate the field performance of the seeder along with farmer’s feedback on different grain crops under different soil types

c) To improve the capacity of the private entrepreneurs for fabrication, repairing, marketing and dissemination of seeder among different stakeholders.

Methodology:

Four new seeders were fabricated as per design at R. K. Metal, Faridpur in 2017-18 and these seeders were then supplied to the project areas (One seeder for each upazila) with the supervision of OFRD, Rajshshi (Barind Station) and Patuakhali. Performance of each of the seeder was tested in the farmers’ field in respective project locations.

Field experiments

Field experiments were conducted in Tanore upazila and Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district (AEZ 26, High Barind Tract) and Dumiki and Kalapara upazila of Patukhali district AEZ: 13 (Ganges Tidal Floodplain) during Rabi season of 2019-20. The soil type in Rajshahi was clay loam and Patuakhali was silty clay loam. The following cropping patterns were followed in the project locations to carry out the experiments. The existing common cropping patterns in the project locations were mainly two crops based. T. aman is the common crop in all locations. The improved seeder was used for land preparation and sowing of rabi crops. Three methods were followed for seed planting by BARI Seeder such as whole land shallow tilling i.e. single pass full tillage, strip tillage and zero tillage. The conventional method of seed sowing was also used i.e. full tillage by power tiller using 3-4 passes and then seed broadcasting followed by seed covering by laddering. Locations, areas, crops and sowing methods under the experiments in Rajshahi and Patuakhali are given, respectively.

Economic Analysis

A simple economic analysis was done based on total crop production. Production cost included input cost. The input cost was calculated by considering cost of land preparation, seed, fuel, fertilizers, herbicide, insecticide, irrigation and hiring charges of labour. The gross return and net return were calculated on the basis of local market price. The straight line method was used for calculating of depreciation (Hunt, 2001). The annual costs of operation of BARI seeder and power tiller were computed as the sum of fixed costs and variable costs.

Source of Information: Annual Research Report 2019-2020, FMPE Division, BARI, Gazipur

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The improved seeder was found suitable for planting different types of crops such as wheat, maize, lentil, mungbean, sunflower, cowpea, etc. During Rabi 2019-20, 7.20 ha of wheat maize and lentil were planted in Rajshahi and 3.94 ha of maize, mungbean and sunflower were planted in Patukhali project locations by the improved seeder. The field performance of seeder was found satisfactory in both Rajshahi and Patuakhali. Significantly the highest crop yields were found from reduced tillage (PTOS) than ST, ZT and conventional methods. PTOS found effective in crop planting in all project locations. In four project locations (upazila), 240 operators and farmers were trained through four practical trainings on operation, repair and maintenance of improved seeder. Ten manufacturing mechanics of different workshops were trained at R. K. Metal, Faridpur. Farmers of Rajshahi liked strip tillage but in Patuakhali they liked full tillage for planting of crops. The net return came from the BARI seeder and power tiller were Taka 66664 and 24180, respectively. The payback period of seeder was 2.93 years and that of power tiller was 3.63 years. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) of BARI seeder and power tiller were 1.54 and 1.08, respectively. A completion workshop was arranged in BARI, Gazipur where 60 different stakeholders participated. A booklet was printed in Bangla on the introduction, operation and maintenance of the seeder. This is the final (3^rd) year report and the improved seeder is recommended for reduced tillage, strip tillage and zero tillage practices in Bangladesh.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings