Profitable Paddy Cultivation through Direct Seeding Technology by Rice-Wheat Seeder

Background:
The Paddy is grown world-wide mostly by hand transplanting of seedlings in puddled soil. The farmers in many parts of the world are using different types of paddy transplanters that require mat-type seedlings.

                                         

Due to the complexity in operation of machine, its high cost, necessity of growing mat type seedlings & variation in efficiency of machine in different kinds of soil and also in different fields the pace of adoption of the transplanter is very slow in India.

The Direct Seeded Paddy (DSP) cultivation is picking pace with the development of some improved varieties as well as on account of development of effective weedicides. At present, the farmers are slowly adopting the DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) technology and are broadcasting dry seeds of paddy in well-pulverized soil. The mixing of seed in soil upon broadcasting by tillage equipments result into dispersal of seed at variable depth in randomized pattern, accounting to poor germinations of seed followed by poor crop establishment.

                                    

                                                          

The Rice-Wheat Seeder equipment is capable of regulating the seed rate and put the seeds in soil at desired depth with proper maintenance of plant-to-plant distance ranging from 8-15 cm within the row. This character of machine helps the users to grow paddy in well defined row spaced at 20 cm and, thus, leaves the farmers with opportunities of using the mechanical weeding tools in between two consecutive rows for weeding.

The scientist of College of Agricultural Engineering, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa developed the Rice Wheat Seeder equipment and the same is being manufactured by M/s Bihar Maa Durga Agro. Industries Pvt. Ltd., Pandaul, District Madhubani, Bihar.

Features of Equipment:

 

Effective width of equipment	:	0.96 meter
Recommended working speed	:	1.8 – 2.25 km/h
Effective field capacity	:	0.40 – 0.50 ha/day
No. of labor required	:	02
Seed capacity of each drum	:	5 kg
Recommended filling weight in drum	:	3 kg
No. of Drums/Machine	:	02
No. of row of holes on each drum	:	04 (two rows on each side)
No. of furrow opener & seed collector	:	04
No. of depth control wheals	:	02
No. of depth control settings hole	:	03
Minimum and maximum achieved depth for seeding	:	1.0 cm (Min.) & 3.0 cm Max.)

 

Field Performance of Equipment:

The machine was evaluated in paddy and wheat crop in the research farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (DRPCAU), Pusa as well as in Krishi Vigyan Kendra farm of Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) Sabour, Bhagalpur.

 

Particulars	On Farm Trail at DRPCAU Pusa	On Farm Trail at BAU, Sabour
Location	Research plot of DRPCAU, Pusa	Research plot of KVK Sabour, Bhagalpur
Crop	Paddy	Paddy
Variety	“Rajendra Saraswati”	“Rajendra Sweta”
Method of Cultivation	Seeding of dry seeds in well pulverized soil	Seeding of dry seeds in well pulverized soil
Field preparation	By Rotavator in two passes	By Rotavator in two passes
Date of seeding/harvesting	15.06.2018/07.10.2018	24.06.2018/05.11.2019
Seed rate (kg)/ Yield (kg/ha)	22.0 /4000	22.0/3880

 

Performance in Farmers Fields:
(Direct seeding by Equipment Vs Transplanting)

The direct seeding of paddy by Rice-Wheat Seeder was evaluated against the transplanting method in farmer’s field. The enhancement in yield by the equipment was found in range of 5 - 25 % at different locations.

 

S. No.	Farmers’ Name & Address	Variety	Yield (kg/ha) by Rice-Wheat Seeder	Yield (kg / ha) by Transplanting Method	% gain in yield
1.	Sunil Kumar, Muradpur, Block - Dumara, Sitamarhi	Rajendra Sarsawati	3760	3295	14.11
2.	Rajan Kumar Ray, Pandaul, Madhubani	Rajendra Bhagawati	6500	5200	25
3.	Sailendra Pratab Singh, Arah, Bojpur	Gangotri	4549	3960	14.87
4.	Pankaj Kumar, Birnoudh, Goradh, Bhagalpur	Rajendra Sweta	3630	3350	8.35
5.	Pramanand Gupta, Birnoudh, Goradh, Bhagalpur	Rajendra Mansuri	3970	3420	16.08
6.	Amarnath Kumar, Village - Rasalpur, Dumara, Sitamarhi	Smarth	3800	3680	3.26
7.	Ajay Kumar Singh, Basant Patti, Purnahiya Seohar.	Sawrna Sub-1	4485	4179	7.32

Cost of Cultivation (Direct seeding by Equipment Vs Transplanting):

S. No.	Name of Equipment Purchaser/User	Quantity	Area under demonstration in ha
1.	Department of Plant Breeding, DRPCAU, Pusa	01	0.40
2.	Department of FMPE, CAE Pusa	01	0.50
3.	KVK, BAU, Sabour	02	2.0
4.	KVKs, Barh, Patna	01	0.30
5.	KVK, Seohar	02	1.0
6.	KVK, Vaishali	01	1.25
7.	KVK, Khodabandpur	01	0.40
8.	KVK, Arah, Bojpur	01	1.25
9.	KVK, Buxar	01	0.20
10.	KVK, Latehar, Jharkhand	01	0.35
11.	Borlauge Institute of South Asia (BISA)	01	0.40
12.	Pioneer Seed	512	250.0
13.	D.A.O., Supaul	01	0.40
14.	Agricultural Specialists, Government of Bihar	01	1.0
15.	Hon’ble Agriculture Minister, Bihar	01	0.20

 

Feedback:
All the users were satisfied with the performance of machine and most of them had realized better yield of paddy in direct seeding than the transplanted rice under proper weed control. 

                             

 

                                                     

Due to excessive weed, deficient moisture and faulty operation of machine at some places, the results were not very much encouraging. However, all the users were of view that by the use of the rice-wheat seeder the paddy can be successfully cultivated with net saving of about Rs. 4,000 - 5,000 / acre. The machine was found easy in operation, adjustment and maintenance.

(Source: College of Agricultural Engineering, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar)