DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SELF- PROPELLED PADDY SEEDER

Abstract

A self-propelled paddy seeder with cell feed seed metering system is developed. The machine is equipped with prime mover of 1.51 kW two stroke petrol engine to drive two paddle wheels and the seed metering mechanism. In the working process the drive from the engine is transferred to the gear box through centrifugal clutch. The gear box with a reduction ratio 236:1 reduces the speed to desirable level where the human can walk in clayey soil. The drive for the seed metering mechanism is derived from the paddle wheel shaft and the speed is stepped up to rotate the seeding cell unit. The row spacing and hill spacing of the machine is 24 cm respectively. The two floats provided at the rear to slide the machine over the mud in the paddy fields while in seeding operation. The machine can reduce the labour and cost of operation by precisely placing he optimum no. of seeds. The seed placement in rows enable the inter row weeding in such seeding system. Testing and performance evaluation was done in a field of 16 m×10 m by using Sreyas seeds. Various test parameters such as miss index, multiple index, row spacing, hill spacing, field efficiency, fuel consumption and wheel slip were determined as 6.67%, 4.44%, 23cm, 22cm, 81.25%, 1.12l/h and 10.4% respectively. The developed self-propelled paddy seeder eliminates the need for manual labor, reducing the physical strain on farmers and improving overall efficiency while ensuring precise seed placement, optimal seed spacing, and better crop yield with uniform growth. This technology contributes to sustainable agriculture practices by minimizing seed wastage, optimizing resource utilization, and reducing environmental impact, thereby promoting more efficient and environmentally friendly farming methods.