Conservation tillage machinery system for cultivation of wheat in Chhattisgarh

Rice –wheat is one of the popular system in Chhattisgarh with an area of 0.165 million hectare under limited or assured irrigation conditions. Farmers generally perform tillage operations for wheat as many times as possible with the belief that more tillage would result in more yield of crop. Conservation tillage offers an economically attractive and ecologically sound system of improving internal resources, sustaining the system productivity and soil health. Under the changing agricultural scenario, the agricultural technologies needs a shift from production oriented to energy efficient and profit oriented sustainable farming. Since the total turnaround from rice to wheat is about one month, therefore any delay in previous operations will delay the wheat. Keeping above points in view, the present experimentation was carried out with seven treatments (T₁ Cultivator x 1+ Rotavator x 1 + Sowing with conventional seed drill; T₂ Cultivator x 2+ Rotavator x 1 + Sowing with conventional seed drill; T₃ Cultivator x 2+ + Sowing with conventional seed drill; T₄ Cultivator x 1+ Rotavator x 2 + Raised bed planter; T₅ Zero till drill; T₆ Strip till drill and T₇ Rotavator x 2 + Sowing with conventional seed drill) in 2008-09 to compare the energy and economics for production of wheat crop in Chhattisgarh under randomized block design. The cost of operation for tillage and sowing for other treatment was compared to treatment T₅ (Zero- till drill) and there was percentage saving of about 83.6, 73.91, 71.8, 67.53, 59.81 and 36 % when compared with T₄, T₂, T₇, T₁, T₃ and T₆- respectively. The yield varies under different treatments from 18.19 to 24.62 q/ha. Combining the factors of energy analysis (energy input and output, energy ratio, specific energy), economic analysis and grain yield it can be concluded that Zero tillage treatment is one of the energy efficient and cost effective conservation tillage machinery system followed by strip till drill treatment.