Vol. 10, Special Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Kishan Kumar Patel, RK Naik, Govinda Bhagat and Geeta Patel

Abstract:
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Tricticumaestivum) cropping system is the most extensively cultivated cereal crop in India and other countries. The major problem with this cropping system is that the management of straw and stubbles in the field after the rice harvesting. In the present study different farm machines were used to assess the impact of crop residue management on crop productivity. Farm machines such as happy seeder, mulcher + zero till seed cum fertilizer drill (ZTSFD), zero till seed cum fertilizer drill (ZTSFD), rotavator + seed fertilizer drill (SFD), cultivator + seed fertilizer drill (SFD) were used to compare the performance of each treatment for residue management and impact on crop productivity. Machine parameters such as speed of operation, effective field capacity and fuel consumption were found highest 4.2 km/h, 0.42 ha/h and 5.25 l/h in rotavator +SFD. Lowest fuel consumption was observed in ZTSFD. The residue parameters i.e. percent reduction in length of straw was observed higher in mulcher + ZTSFD and incorporation of straw was observed in rotavator +SFD as compared to other machines. Soil parameters such as moisture content evaporation and bulk density found highest in cultivator + SFD. The crop parameter straw grain ratio was found no significant difference between the treatments. The highest crop yield was observed to be 23.70 q/ha with happy seeder and the lowest was observed 22.60 q/ha in cultivator +SFD treatment. The total cost of operation for treatment T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅ were calculated as 2121.46 3215.91, 1178.39, 3087.13 and 1926.92 ₹/ha, respectively. From all the treatments the lowest operational cost was found in ZTSFD because there is no requirement for tillage practice.