Evaluation of wheat sowing technologies under paddy straw chopped conditions

Evaluation of different wheat sowing technologies was conducted in a combine harvested paddy field. Field of paddy variety PR-118 was harvested with combine and chopping operation was performed with the Mounted Type Straw Chopper-cum-Spreader. The straw load was 8.22 t/ha at a moisture content of 20.17% (wb). Two different treatments for sowing of wheat in the chopped paddy residue condition were conducted and compared with a control treatment. Wheat sowing technologies were evaluated with treatments as T₁ =Chopped paddy residue + Harrow (2) + Irrigation + Sowing (STD) and T₂=Chopped paddy residue + Puddling + Sowing (STD). Control was harrow (2) + irrigation + harrow (2) + cultivator (1) + planker (1) + sowing with traditional drill. Treatment T₁ and T₂ were having 8.84 and 14.12 per cent more germination than control, respectively. Grain yield was maximum in treatment T2 (3512.5 kg/ha). Cost of operation/ha was least for treatment T₁ at Rs. 2752/ha followed by treatment T₂ at Rs. 3214/ha. Based on the operational performance, chopping of paddy residue with mounted type straw chopper cum spreader immediately after combine harvesting followed by puddling with rotavator and sowing with strip till drill is suggested as appropriate wheat sowing technology.