Performance Evaluation of Tractor Operated Raised Bed Former-cum-Seeder for Maize-Chickpea Cropping Sequence

The main limiting factor in adoption of raised bed planting among farmers in vertisol is the lack of appropriate implements, especially for seeding. A study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of raised bed former-cum seeder in permanent raised bed system in comparison of zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill in flatbed system under zero tillage condition for sowing of maize and chickpea crop. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with a raised bed former cum seeder/planter and a zero till seed-cum-fertilizer drill as main treatments, four sub-treatments with three replications. The sub plot treatments included control (top dressing of urea through broadcast method), straw mulching along with top dressing of urea by broadcast, foliar spray of 2% urea and split application of the remaining 50% urea at 100 mm depth using tractor operated variable depth fertilizer applicator in maize. Chickpea sub plot treatment included control (only basal application of NPK, straw mulching along with basal application of NPK, NPK +organic manure @ 2.7 t.ha⁻¹ and NPK + vermicompost @ 1.4 t.ha⁻¹ 30 days after sowing. A saving of seed and fertilizers to an extent of 20% and 6%, respectively, in the case of maize and about 13% and 22%, respectively, in chickpea along with increase in yield by about 25% in both maize and chickpea was observed due to cultivation on permanent raised beds.