Background:
Methods of sowing are the most important farm operation in jute farming for getting healthy and disease-free crops for higher fibre production. The farmers mostly follow the broadcast method of sowing. In practice, farmers use a higher seed rate (7-8 kg/ha) than recommended seed rate due to small seed size. The weeding and plant protection measures are major problems due to scattered and higher plant density. To maintain optimum plant population in the field, excess 75-80% of the emergent seedlings are removed during weeding and thinning operation at 21-45 DAE. As farmers follow the traditional practice of broadcast sowing and face difficulty in intercultural operations and overall management of their crops. As the yield rate is low, farmers derive marginal benefits from their produce. The line sowing of jute using existing manual-driven multi-row jute seed drill and jute seeder requires 4.5-5 hours to cover one hectare of land. The farmer has to pull the machine on tilled soil in the scorching sun. hence to reduce drudgery in seed sowing operations using manually driven seed drills and precision sowing of jute and other small-seeded crops, a tractor-drawn multi-crop seed drill has been developed. Considering the present scenario of the availability of tractors in villages utilized for land preparation and other works, the tractors can also be utilized for sowing jute seed using the developed seed drill. Using a tractor-drawn seed drill not only reduces the drudgery but also the sowing time can be reduced:
Technology Details:
“Tractor drawn multi-crop seed drill” is a machine for precision sowing of jute and other small-seeded crops. The machine uses an inclined plate metering mechanism for the precision placement of seeds in rows. The machine is driven by tractors through a 3-point linkage of the tractor drawbar (35 hp and above). The machine is having separate box and metering mechanism for the application of granular fertilizer in the field. Power transmission from the ground wheel to the metering mechanism is through chain and sprocket and bevel gear drive. The seed drill is having 7-rows and row to row distance is 25 cm. The row distance can be adjusted as per the requirement of different crops. There is provision for the controlled addition of seeds to the metering unit and an outlet is there for complete removal of unused seeds in the box. There is a reduction in seed rate of about 50 % i.e., 3.0-3.2 kg/ha than broadcast sowing (7-8 kg/ha). It reduces drudgery in the sowing of jute. Line sowing using followed by mechanical weeding operation reduces manual labour requirements by up to 60 % and cost savings of Rs. 6500-11500 per ha for weeding operation. The machine can also be used for Millet, mustard, sesame, etc.