(a) Country seed drill/‘Gorru’ – It consists of a horizontal beam on which a number of tines are fixed at suitable distances. The tine is like the body of the common wooden plough, but is much smaller. It has a vertical hole, a little above the point of penetration into the soil. Seeds are released from the above placed seed hoppers steadily few seeds at a time. The base of the hopper has as many holes as there are tines in the gorru and narrow bamboo or metal tubes connect the hopper and the tines. This enables the seeds released in the hopper being dropped in the furrows opened by the tines. The hopper and the seed tubes are held in position with thin ropes.
(b) Mechanical seed drills – It is of both bullock and tractor drawn.
(i) Bullock drawn seed drill/TNAU improved planter – A medium size five tined cup feed seed drill suitable for heavy size bullocks, a small three tined cup feed seed drill called as Kovai seed drill are suitable for small pair of bullocks. These drills are suitable for sowing seeds of groundnut, maize, sorghum, cotton, Bengal gram and pulses. It covers on ha per day and costs Rs. 3,500/-.
(ii) Tractor drawn seed drill – Both simultaneous formation of 1.5 m wide beds and sowing in the bed is possible using this drill. The implement consists of a pair of furrowers made of sheet metal with suitable hitching arrangements to the three-point linkage of the tractor. Over the framework of these furrowers 7 numbers of hoppers with metering mechanisms have been mounted. This implement simultaneously sows in seven rows in the broad bed. It covers an area of 4 ha/day and saves 25% of sowing cost.
(iii) Rice drum seeder for wetland (Drum seeder for direct sowing of rice) – A manually pulled, rice seeder has been developed at TNAU for sowing pregerminated rice seeds in rows directly in well puddled and leveled soil. It requires 2 labourers and covers 0.4 ha/day. Using this seeder green manures (Sesbania sp.) can also be sown as intercrop in between rice rows. Cost of this seeder is Rs. 3000/-.
Read More-
- Contingency cropping Point Wise Notes for Competitive Exam
- Soil Conservation Point Wise Notes for Competitive exam
- Crop Physiology Point Wise Notes For Competitive exam
- Weed Management Point Wise Notes For Competitive Exam 2
- Crop Physiology-3 Point Wise Notes For Competitive exam
