Performance Evaluation of Mechanical Rice Transplanter for Aman Rice

Abstract

A study was conducted during Aman/2012 season on mechanical rice transplanter to evaluate the field performance in both puddle and un-puddle conditions in the locations of Laksam and Burichong Upazila of Comilla district and Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtria district represented the sandy loam, clay loam and clay soil condition respectively under PhD works. Walk behind type 4 rows mechanical rice transplanter was used to conduct the study. Seedling was raised in plastic tray and polythene sheet for transplanting. Puddle field was prepared by three tilling and one leveling operation by two wheel power tiller. In un-puddle field, major weeds were only removed manually. Mechanical rice transplanter was found suitable to operate in un-puddle condition with some pre-requisite management. Managements are the inundation of land for making soil soft, weeds out and maintain minimum standing water during transplanting. Plant to plant distance was found less in puddle field compared to un-puddle field because of slippage during transplanting. In puddle field, average plant to plant distance was found 14.42 cm whereas it was 14.85 cm in un-puddle field out of 15 cm. On the other hand, transplanting depth was observed almost same in both conditions because of controlling mechanism of depth in rice transplanter. However, average total missing hills considering missing, floating, buried and damaged hills was found 3.60 and 4.92 hills/m2 in puddle and un-puddle fields respectively. Floating hills was observed more in un-puddle field though buried hills was more in puddle hills. Moreover, percent of missing hills in puddle and un-puddle conditions were 14.94 and 21.04% respectively. In both puddle and un-puddle conditions, % of total missing hills was found more in clay soil condition whereas it was observed less in sandy loam condition. Field capacity also varied due to vibration in un-puddle condition. Average field capacity was found 0.14 and 0.13 ha/hr in puddle and un-puddle conditions respectively. Yield and yield contributing characters have no significant different in puddle and un-puddle field. Average yield of the BRRI dhan49 was 5.1 and 4.87 t/ha whereas 4.92 and 4.89 t/ha for BINA dhan7 in puddle and un-puddle field respectively. BCR of rice production under puddle and un-puddle conditions, transplanting by mechanical transplanter, was gave 1.49 and 1.56 respectively.