Modification and performance evaluation of tractor drawn improved till plant machine under vertisol

Abstract

 A tractor drawn (TD) till plant machine was designed and developed with the help of computer aided design package for adoption of minimum till technology by the farmers, in black cotton soil conditions.  This machine was evaluated and compared with the performance of a zero till drill and conventional practices at Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University farms as well as at a farmer’s fields.  It was found that the total time and cost required for tillage and sowing operations by till plant machine was 5.09 h/ha and Rs. 410.37/ha, which is 72.23 per cent less time required than conventional practices of wheat cultivation but is 28.83 per cent more time required than zero till drill practices.  The average yield by tractor till plant machine was 26.96 q/ha, whereas, by conventional practices and tractor drawn zero till drill was 25.91 and 22.72 q/ha respectively.  The soil conditions were also found better in the case of the T.D. till plant machine.

Keywords: till plant machine, zero tillage, vertisol, field capacity, field efficiency