Background:
In India, seeds are sown by broadcasting and drilling by tifan or traditional implements. They give the non-uniform distribution of seeds which in turn gave excessive plant population and uneven plant spacing. Non-uniformity in seed plating and plant population results in reduced yield. The existing pneumatic systems are operated by tractors but are costlier. The costs of tractor-drawn pneumatic planters are very high which limits their use by small and marginal farmers. Therefore, considering the economic conditions of the farmer's engine was replaced with five bar linkage, and a low-cost ICAR-CIAE Five bar linkage type eight-row pneumatic dibbler for rice and allied crops was developed to provide solutions to the existing methods.:
Technology Details:
ICAR-CIAE tractor-operated pneumatic dibbler for rice and bold seeds was developed and evaluated in the field. The cost of the machine is Rs. 100000 which is very low compared with the existing technologies available in the market. The metering mechanism used for seed is a pneumatic drum type. A pneumatic dibbler consists of fixed plates, gear, chain sprockets, cams, connecting rods, dibbling unit, a seedbox, aspirators, suction pipes, orifices, and a cutoff mechanism. The cams are attached such that it takes power from the motor attached and transmit mechanical power to the motion of the dibbler unit. The overall weight of the machine supported by two wheels along with the tractor is about 200 kg. It is lightweight equipment as compared to existing systems in the market and can be easily carried by a farmer to the field. This equipment is suitable for multi-crops and specially designed for rice and an allied crop requires small spacing. It can be used for a crop that requires seed spacing between 15 to 75 cm. The use of the pneumatic dibbler can save seeds and costs compared to drilling by traditional methods. The developed equipment can be used by small farmers.