Agrotechnology

Water application attachment on seed drill for dry land farming

3^rd International Conference on Agriculture & Horticulture

October 27-29, 2014 Hyderabad International Convention Centre, India

Yuvraj Kasal, Nikam M D and Salunkhe R V

Posters: Agrotechnol

Abstract:

Dry lands contribute 42% of the total food grain production of the country. These areas produce 75% of pulses and more than 90% of sorghum, millet, groundnut from arid and semi-arid regions. Thus, dry lands/rainfed farming will continue to play a dominant role in agricultural production. This target cannot be realized from irrigated areas alone as we have irrigation potential for 178 million hectares only. Therefore, we will have to evolve an appropriate technology for dry land farming. Due to dependency on rains the sowing is often delayed in dryland area which substantially reduces the yield of crop. A water application mechanism thus designed and developed wherein water will be given to the seed at the time of sowing. This will help farmer to sow crop on time, which may help to increase the production. The performance was compared with ridger seeder, seed drill and hand plough. The effective field capacity of water application attachment on seed drill was observed 0.420 ha h-1 at average operating speed of 2.5 km hr-1. The field efficiency calculated was 70%. The water application rate of water application attachment on seed drill was fixed as 2222 l ha-1. Seed germination percent in water application attachment on seed drill was 14% higher than ridger seeder, 35% higher than hand plough and 5.60 % higher than seed drill. Number of plants per meter row length by water application attachment on seed drill was 19.35 %, 54.16 % and 5.71 % higher than ridger seeder, hand plough and seed drill, respectively. Number of pods per plant in water application attachment on seed drill was 16.27 %, 66.66 % and 9.48 % higher than ridger seeder, hand plough and seed drill, respectively. 1000 seed weight by water application attachment on seed drill was 3.70 %, 1.48 % and 1.73 % higher than ridger seeder, hand plough and seed drill, respectively. Yield in water application attachment on seed drill + dry seed was 6.61,9.7, 26.47 and 16.74% higher than water application attachment on seed drill + soaked seed, ridger seeder, hand plough and seed drill respectively. Thus the problem of delay in sowing of the farmers can be overcome by using of water application attachment on seed drill.