Field Evaluation of Stubble Manager cum Crop Planter for Rice-fallow Crop under Combine Harvested Residue Condition

Abstract

Rice fallows in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, India are well suited for pulse crops viz., blackgram and green gram. Studies were under taken on performance evaluation of stubble manager cum crop planter under rice fallows after the operation of combine harvester for black gram seed sowing during Rabi season of 2021-22 at Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. This machine consisted of two units viz., stubble managing unit and crop planting unit for simultaneous straw mulching, strip-tillage and sowing operations in rice-fallow field. The theoretical and actual field capacities of the machine were found as 0.30 and 0.20 ha h-1 with field efficiency of 65.45% and fuel consumption was observed as 6.11 L h-1 and 30.55 L ha-1.  Draft of the developed machine was found as 7.36 kN with wheel slip 12.89%. Width and depth of furrow strips were found as 9.94 and 3.15 cm respectively and depth of sowing 2.17 cm. Also, economical comparison was made between stubble manager cum crop planter and existing local methods of sowing pulse crop under rice fallows in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. The treatments were T1: Broadcasting in standing paddy crop, T2: Burning loose residue + Conventional seed drill + Rotary slasher, T3: Broadcasting + Rotavator, T4: Cultivator + Rotavator + Conventional seed drill (Conventional tillage) and T5: Stubble manager cum crop planer. The experiment was set up using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with five treatments and three replications for each. Soil moisture content in three depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) and soil temperature at 17.00 hours were measured to study the mulching effect on different crop parameters in all the treatments. It was observed that, net returns were highest for T1 with Rs 52267 compared to other treatments. Also, significant difference in soil moisture content and soil temperature was observed in T1 compared to other treatments.