Development and performance evaluation of tractor drawn inclined cell plate type Bt. cotton planter
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Date
2010
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Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
India, the largest cotton growing country in the world, where 60 million people are impacted by cotton
has seen that in 2007 the Bt. cotton area has soared to 6.2 million hectare grown by 3.8 million small and resource
poor farmers. Planting of cotton and other bold seeded crops where row to row as well as plant to plant distance is
essential for the seed saving and better crop production. The seeds are sown in line at depth of 30-40 mm with two
seeds per hill maintaining the desired spacing between row and plants. In inclined cell plate type planter seed
sowing produced more consistent row to row distribution of seeds and a numerical reduction in plant stand
variability. Thus, there is a need to develop an inclined cell plate type precision planter for Bt. cotton for saving of
seed and labour. The performance evaluation of seed metering inclined cell plate under laboratory conditions was
carried out on existing Bt. cotton planter in term seed rate, cell fill percentage, seed distribution pattern, seed to
seed distance and soil cover over the seed. The seed rate obtained with seed hopper in level position and at speed
ratio of 3:1 were 1.75kg/ha, 2.40kg/ha and 2.65kg/ha in large medium and small seed size categories respectively.
These seedrateS are quite close to the recommended seed rates of Bt. cotton varieties.Based on the results of lab.
study the optimum speed ratio of 3:1, seed release height of 30 cm inclined cell plate type metering roller and shoe
type furrow opener were selected and improved prototype of Bt. cotton planter was developed.
The performance evaluation of improved prototype Bt. cotton planter was carried outunder field
condition and compared existing inclined plate type cotton planter. The effective field capacity of both machine
were 0.73ha/h and 0.71ha/h at average operating speed 4.1 and 3.8 km/h respectively. Time lost in turning of both
planters was 35 and 37sec/turn and the field efficiencieswere 59.34 and 58.77 % respectively. The seed
germination (No. of plants /10m furrow length) observed by the use of improved Bt. cotton planter were 10-19
plants (7days after planting), 16-21 plants (15 days after planting) and 16-19 plants (21days after planting) of Bt.
cotton crops. In comparison to this the seed germinations of 11-14, 12-17 and12-16 plants 7DAS, 15DAS and
21DAS were recorded with existing planter. The distribution of plants in row and crop response at farmer’s field
indicated that mean plant spacing observed was 71.8 cm with a quality of feeding index 75.57% with the use of
improved Bt. cotton planter compared to 77.6cm mean spacing recorded on existing cotton planter with quality of
feeding index as 68.81%.The missing index and multiplying index recorded in improved Bt. cotton planter were
15.45 % and 8.88% respectively, while, 22.86% and 8.33 % in existing cotton planter.
Description
Keywords
Livestock, Economic systems, Animal husbandry, Yields, Biological phenomena, Marketing, Productivity, Lactation, Dairy farms, Crossbreds