1Scientist (Agril. Engg), KVK, Mayurbhanj, Shamakhunta, Dist-Mayurbhanj, Odisha
2Associate Professor and OIC, AICRP on UAE, CAET, OUAT, Bhubaneswar
3Professor and Head, Department of Farm Machinery and Power, CAET, OUAT, Bhubaneswar
Sowing is the prime operation in cultivation practice of any crop which directly affects production and timely sowing is just essential for utilizing available sources of power. Planters and seed drills are not commonly used for planting of groundnut in Odisha. Generally farmers plant groundnut seeds in the furrow behind a narrow country plough drawn by a pair of bullocks. An On Farm Trial (OFT) was conducted during Rabi season of 2013–14 and 2014–15 in the farmers’ field of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha by KVK, Mayurbhanj to compare the performance of line sowing of groundnut by bullock drawn five row multi-crop seed cum fertilizer planter and single row bullock drawn multi crop plough planter with conventional method of sowing i.e. behind the plough. The trial was conducted in RBD with seven replication. The recommended package of practices was followed in all treatments and a seed rate of 120 kg (kernel)/ha was applied. The average row spacing in case of five row and single row planters were found to be 25.27 cm and 27.24 cm, respectively, as compared to 28.59 cm in case of conventional method of sowing. The average depth of placement of seed was 8.98 cm and 5.76 cm, respectively, in case of bullock drawn single row plough planter and five row multi-crop planter as compared to 8.84 cm in case of behind the plough method. The average plant population was 30.4 and 28.5/m2 respectively in case multi crop planter and plough planter, while in case of behind the plough it was 26/m2. The field capacity was recorded as 0.2 ha/h with field efficiency of 78% in five row multi-crop planter while in case of single row plough planter, the field capacity was 0.041 ha/h with field efficiency of 75%. The highest grain yield of groundnut crop and B: C ratio was observed as 21.2 q/ha and 2.03 respectively in case of five row multi-crop planter. The cost savings of 30.6% and 55.5% and labour savings of 34% and 77% respectively were achieved by five row multi-crop planter and single row plough planter against sowing behind the plough which were found quite substantial and justified the suitability of bullock drawn five row multi crop planter and single row plough planter.
