Effect of tractor forward speed on field performance of zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill in tilth and un-tilth sandy loam soil

Zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill performance affected by tractor speed

Abstract

The zero till seed-cum-ferti-drill was assessed for field performance in sandy loam soil under tillage and no-tillage soil conditions at variable forward speed of tractor. With increase in forward speed of tractor, field capacity of the machine was in increasing order in all treatments, in tilth and un-tilth soil. Field efficiency of machine in tilth soil was initially increasing with tractor speed with maximum value 94.71% at 3.39 km/h. However, in un-tilth soil, it was highest (94.17%) at slowest speed i.e. 1.73 km/h and remained almost constant around 92% upon increase in tractor speed up to 4.32 km/h. The tractor wheel slip percentage started decreasing with increase in tractor speed and was in minimum range between 6.35-7.59% in tilth soil and between 16.03-15.55% in un-tilth soil in treatments at rated speed of the tractor between 3.62-4.77 km/h. Drive wheel skid in no-tillage condition of soil was found minimum at 5.69 km/h forward speed of tractor for zero till-seed-cum-ferti-drill and the same was observed to be in decreasing order with increase in tractor forward speed. However, in tilth soil, drive wheel skid was remained in between 14.94%-19.05% with increase in tractor forward speed. Seeding efficiency of zero till-seed-cum-ferti-drill was observed to have been influenced by the drive wheel skid, and had direct as well as inverse co-relation with increase in tractor forward speed in un-tilth and tilth soil, respectively. Obviously, design characteristic of zero till-seed-cum-ferti-drill is better suited for its use in no-tillage soil condition to achieve higher seeding efficiency, field capacity and field efficiency.