Design, development and performance evaluation of zone disc tiller drill for maize crop production in Pakistan.

A light weight zone disc tiller drill was redesigned and developed employing Solid works and AutoCAD software's. For field performance evaluation of the machine, the experimental trials were conducted at Post Graduate Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. An area of 2.5 ha (6.12 acres) was divided into two halves; one-half of the area was used for the conventional method of maize planting and the second half was used for maize planting by redeveloped zone disc tiller drill. It was observed that under the conventional method, extensive field preparation operations were performed, whereas no field preparation had been done for planting maize with a zone disc tiller drill. After harvesting the paddy crop, the zone disc tiller drill was passed through the standing stubble field and planted the maize seed in one pass. Crop planting results with zone disc tiller drill and conventional method under three levels of irrigation and three levels of fertilizer levels were compared for their impact on the crop parameters including emergence rate index, root length, root shoot ratio, shoot length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot fresh weight, and shoot dry weight. All the data were statistically analyzed and found that the emergence rate index by using a zone disc tiller drill was 1.43 times greater than that under conventional maize planting. The emergence rate index at irrigation level I3 (after 4 days) was 1.23 times greater than that at I2 (after 6 days) and 1.40 times greater than that at I1 (after 8 days). The value of the emergence rate index at fertilizer level F3 (148.2 kg ha-1) was 1.61 times greater than that at F2 (123.3 kg ha-1) and 3.32 times greater than that at F1 (98.8 kg ha-1). Plant shoot dry weight by using a zone disc tiller drill was 1.68 times greater than that observed under the conventional maize planting method. It was concluded from the cost analysis that the cost of sowing maize with a zone disc tiller drill on an area of one hectare was less as compared to the conventional method (tillage + sowing). The proposed study showed that the newly designed machine could sow maize seed in rice stubble field within an acceptable cost, saves time, improve soil physical parameters, and crop parameters for better production of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]