Performance Evaluation of Tractor Operated Paddy Straw Mulcher

Paddy straw management in combine harvested paddy fields is a major problem in paddy-wheat rotation. A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of tractor operated paddy straw mulcher in combine harvested paddy field. Effective field capacity of the tractor operated paddy straw mulcher was 0.32 ha/h at forward speed of 2.64 km/h. Average fuel consumption for the machine was 5.88 l/h. The percent chopped straw size by paddy straw mulcher up to 10 cm was 83.44%. No or very little straw accumulation was observed in operation of spatial no till drill for direct drilling of wheat after the operation of paddy straw mulcher. Average grain yield for treatment T1 (Paddy straw mulcher + wheat sowing with spatial no-till drill) was 2.39 and 0.33% less than T2 (paddy straw chopper-cum-spreader + wet mixing with rotavator + no till drill) and T3 (clean field + disc harrow + cultivator x 2 + planter + traditional seed drill) respectively whereas the cost of operation for treatment T1 was 24.38 and 23.55% less than T2 and T3 respectively.