The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
The study was conducted at Mundopasha, Wazirpur, Barisal during Rabi season of 2017 for testing, adoption and popularization of different conservation machinery (CA) such as zero till planter (ZT), strip till planter (ST), bed planter (BP) and power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) along with conventional tilling and of sowing method for planting of mungbean (BARI Mung-6). The soil type was loamy-sand with bulk density 1.41 g/cc. The effective field capacities of ZT, ST, BP, PTOS and power tiller were found to be 0.104, 0.109, 0.084, 0.109, and 0.074 ha/h, respectively. The field efficiency of ZT, ST, BP, PTOS and power tiller were estimated as 74.68, 76.47, 75.84, 78.16 and 71.52%, respectively. Significantly the highest mungbean grain yields were found from ZT and ST planted plots than those of other plots. Significantly the lowest grain yield was obtained from conventional tillage and broadcasting method. The highest benefit cost ratio (BCR) was obtained from ST planted (2.60) and zero till planted (2.40) mungbean followed by PTOS (2.20), conventional tillage cum broadcasting (1.88) and bed planting (1.82) methods. The lowest BCR was found from traditional tillage and manual line sowing method (1.61) of mungbean. CA planting system saved about 50% planting cost and reduced about 76% carbon dioxide emission. Based on the fuel consumption, grain yield and BCR, ZT planter and the strip till planter may be recommended in Barisal region for cultivation of mungbean.
Appropriate farm mechanization has been emphasized as an important policy and development goal in Bangladesh
Agriculture in the southern area is characterized by low productivity due to salinity, water logging, less practice of modern technologies, inadequate control over water resources and repeated crop losses due to natural calamities. Most of the CA based tillage and seeding methods are practiced in the northern and west-northern regions of Bangladesh. But, limited CA is practiced in the southern region where soils and environment are quite different from other regions of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to test the CA machineries in the agro-ecological conditions of west-southern areas of Bangladesh to enhance crop productivity. This study has been under taken to adapt and promote appropriate-scale agricultural mechanization of conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification for smallholder farming systems in the southern delta of Bangladesh
The field experiment was conducted in the farmers’ field in Mundopasha village of Wazirpur,upazial, Barisal during Rabi season of 2017 for testing, adoption and popularization of different conservation machinery such as strip till planting method (ST), and PTOS method along with traditional tilling and sowing method.The existing cropping pattern in the study area was Transplanted aman rice-mungbean/lentil-fallow’. The soil type was clay-loam with bulk density 1.46 g/cc. The date of sowing of mungbean was 23 January 2017. The number of participating farmers was nine. The unit plot area was 10-15 decimal (423-485 m2). The total land area was 3600 m2. The following six treatments were taken to conduct the experiment. The design of the experiment was RCBD with four treatments and three replications. The treatments were-
CT= Conventional tillage with manual line sowing
ZT= Zero till planting
ST= Strip till planting
BP= Bed planting
PTOS= Planting by power tiller operated seeder
CTL= Conventional tillage and manual line sowing
CTB= Conventional tillage and broadcasting (Farmers’ practice)
Before planting, seed germination was tested at laboratory. Germination of seed was found 99%. Sunup (Glyphosate) herbicide was applied in zero tillage method and strip tillage method before 10 DAS (Days after sowing). Provex (Azoxystrobin) was mixed with mungbean seeds to protect soil born disease of seed for zero tillage method. The seeds were sown continuously in 30 cm row to row distance. Thinning and other intercultural operations were done. The fertilizers were used @ N20P40K20S10 kg/ha as basal for bed planting, PTOS method, conventional tillage and line sowing (CTL) and conventional tillage and broadcast method (CTB). But same amount of fertilizers was applied as top dress 15 DAS for zero tillage method and strip tillage method. One irrigation was applied during vegetative stage at 25 DAS at farmer’s field. No weeding was done due to less infestation of weeds at farmer’s field. Three times spraying were applied with Imitaf (Imidachloropide), Veertako (Thiamethoxam + Clorantraniliprol), Proklem (Amamektin Benzoate), Actara (Thiamethoxam) during flowering stage up to pod filling stage, starting from 35 DAS to 49 DAS against thrips and pod borer.
Theoretical field capacity was calculated by equation
TFC=Sw/10, ha/h(1)
Where, S =Forward speed km/h, w= Width, m
Effective field capacity was determined by equation
EFC= A/t, ha/h (2)
Where, EFC = Effective field capacity (ha h-1), A= Actual operational area (ha), t= Total operating time (h)
The field efficiency was determined by equation
E f= (EFC/TFC)*100 (3)
Fuel consumption was measured by equation.
Fuel consumption= F/A (4)
Where, F = Amount of fuel (l), A = Area covered (ha)
Seed rate was determined through calculation by using equation
Sd = 10Ws/A (5)
Where, Sd = Seed rate (kg ha-1), Ws = Total weight of seed (g), A = Measured area (m
A simple economic analysis was done based on total production. Production cost included input cost. The input cost was calculated by considering cost of seed, fuel, fertilizers, weedicide, insecticide and hiring charges of labour. The gross return and net return were calculated on the basis of local market price. The capital consumption (CC) method of calculating depreciation is widely used. The useful lives of CA machines and power tiller were assumed to be 8 years and 5 years, respectively. The annual working hours of zero till planter, strip till planter, PTOS, Bed planter and power tiller were 120, 120, 240, 160 and 720 hours, respectively. Annual interest rate was considered 14% of the capital price of the machine. In calculation of fixed cost is assumed and the following equation was used:
Fixed cost, FC=CC+T (6)
Where, CC= Capital consumption, T=Shelter cost, Tk
Capital consumption, CC =(P-S)CRF+S*i (7)
CRF= i(1+i)L/(1+i)L-1 (8)
Where, P=Purchase price, Tk, S = salvage value, Tk, CRF= Capital recovery factor
Where, i= Rate of interest 14%, L=Useful working life of the machine, yr.
Shelter cost, Tk/h; T= 0.5% of P
Variable cost,VC = Lb+F+L+R+Mn (9)
Where, Lb= Labour cost (Tkh-1), F= Fuel cost (l h-1 × Tk l-1), Tk., L= Lubrication oil cost (15% of fuel cost) and R&M= Repair and maintenance cost per year (3.5% of purchase price)
Annual cost (AC) = FC+VC (10)
Where, AC= Annual cost, FC= Fixed cost, Tk. and VC= Variable cost, Tk.
Production cost, Cp=Cs+Cm+Ch+Cfr+Cpp+Cir+Cth(11)
Where, Cp= Production cost (Tkha-1), Cs= Cost for seed (Tkha-1), Cm= Machine operating cost (Tkha-1), Ch = Cost for human labour (Tkha-1), Cfr= Cost for fertilizer (Tkha-1), Cpp= Cost for plant protection (herbicide and pesticide) (Tkha-1), Cir= Irrigation cost (Tkha-1), Cth= Threshing cost with custom hire rate of threshing machinery (Tkha-1).
Gross return, GR= (Yg × Pg) + (Yb × Pb) (12)
Where, GR= Gross return (Tkha-1), Yg= Yield of grain (kgha-1), Pg= Price of grain (Tkkg-1), Yb= Yield of bi-product (kgha-1), Pb= Price of bi-product (Tkkg-1)
Net return, NR= GR-Cp (13)
Where, NR= Net return (Tkha-1), GR= Gross return (Tkha-1), Cp= Production cost (Tkha-1)
Benefit cost ratio, BCR=GR/Cp (14)
Where, BCR= Benefit cost ratio, GR= Gross return (Tkha-1), Cp= Production cost (Tkha-1)
Data were analyzed by using statistical softwear Mstat-C. Means was compared using list Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT).
Field performance of different machines at Mundopasha, Wazirpur, Barisal is shown in
Treatment | Width of tilling (cm) | Forward speed (km/h) | Fuel consumption (l/h) | Tilling depth (cm) | Top width of bed (cm) | Theoretical field capacity (ha/h) | Effective field capacity (ha/h) | Field efficiency (%) |
ZT | 120 | 1.16 | 1.30 | 2.41 | 0.139 | 0.104 | 74.68 | |
ST | 120 (Strip width 6.24) | 1.18 | 1.25 | 4.76 | 0.142 | 0.109 | 76.47 | |
BP | 60 (Top width 25.5 | 1.86 | 1.33 | 12.06 (Bed depth) | 0.111 | 0.084 | 75.84 | |
PTOS | 120 | 1.16 | 1.31 | 6.03 | 0.139 | 0.109 | 78.16 | |
Power tiller | 60 | 1.96 | 3.40 (for 3 passes) | 7.88 | 0.104 | 0.074 | 71.52 |
Effect of different tillage systems on yield and yield contributing parameters of mungbean at Mundopasha, Wazirpur, Barisal is given in
Treatment | Plant population /(m2) | Plant height (cm) | Pod length (cm) | No. of pod/ plant | 100 Grain weight (g) | Grain yield (kg/ha) |
ZT | 37.76 a | 35.2 | 5.7 | 18.8 a | 3.9 | 1166 a |
ST | 34.56 b | 38.6 | 5.9 | 18.3 a | 3.8 | 1160 a |
BP | 30.24 c | 39.2 | 5.4 | 16.8 b | 3.8 | 944 b |
PTOS | 34.48 b | 38.7 | 5.2 | 16.8 b | 3.8 | 1132 ab |
CTL | 31.32 c | 40.1 | 5.2 | 17.3 b | 3.9 | 989 b |
CTB | 27.08 d | 36.8 | 5.4 | 15.4 c | 3.9 | 788 c |
CV(%) | 4.78 | 8.77 | 8.18 | 6.33 | 2.63 | 11.2 |
F-test | ** | NS | NS | * | NS | ** |
The temperature and rainfall in Barisal during mungbean growing period is given in
Comparatively lower grain yields were found from all the plots because heavy rains occurred during ripening stage (Last week of April 2017) and the all the plots were submerged into water for five days. Only one picking (pod harvesting) was possible due to flooded water although the vegetative growth was good. Hence, the sudden rain reduced the yield of mungbean.
Benefit cost ratio of mungbean cultivation by different tillage and planting methods is shown in
Seeding methods | Cost of seeding (Tk |
Cost saving (%) |
PTOS | 1673.30 | 51 |
ZT | 1686.30 | 51 |
ST | 1747.90 | 49 |
BP | 1658.60 | 52 |
Conventional method | 3420.00 | - |
1US$ = 80 BDT
Tillage option | Diesel used (l/ha) | Diesel saved (l/ha) | Money saved for fuel (BDT |
CO2 emission (kg/ha) |
CA system | 14.00 | 45.78 | 3021.48 | 36.40 |
Traditional method | 59.78 | 155.42 |
1US$ = 80 BDT
The conservation machinery such as ZT, ST, BP and PTOS were tested for cultivation of mungbean in Wazirpur upazila of Barisal district. The effective field capacities of zero till planter (ZT), strip till planter (ST), bed planter (BP), power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) and power tiller were found to be 0.104, 0.109, 0.084, 0.109, and 0.074 ha/h, respectively. The field efficiency of ZT, ST, BP, PTOS and power tiller were estimated as 74.68, 76.47, 75.84, 78.16 and 71.52%, respectively. Fuel saving by ZT, ST, BP, and PTOS was about 60% than that of power tiller. Significantly the highest mungbean grain yields were found from ZT and ST planted plots than those of other plots. Significantly the lowest grain yield was obtained from conventional tillage and broadcasting method.
The highest benefit cost ratio (BCR) was obtained from ST planted (2.60) and zero till planted (2.40) mungbean followed by PTOS (2.20), conventional tillage cum broadcasting (1.88) and bed planting (1.82) methods. The lowest BCR was found from traditional tillage and manual line sowing method (1.61) of mungbean. CA planting system saved about 50% planting cost and reduced about 76% carbon dioxide emission. Based on the fuel consumption, grain yield and BCR, ZT planter and the strip till planter may be recommended in Barisal region for cultivation of mungbean.
This paper as part of Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium (ASMC) project ‘‘Appropriate Scale Mechanization Innovation (ASMIH) - Bangladesh’’ is made possible by the support of the American People provided to the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA (Subaward Number: 2015 -06391 -06, Grant code: AB078). The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.