The Hindu Business Line : Rice planter machine put on demo in TNAU

Coimbatore, April 2 The Japanese-made Yanmar rice transplanter (model VP6) was put on demonstration recently in the wetlands of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The demo was part of a month-long training/testing programme on the operation of the transplanter organised by the university in different parts of the State.

Dr C. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, said the transplanter machine will be a boon to the rice farmers as it saved labour and covered larger area in shorter time. He indicated organising a series of trainings to be held throughout the State for the benefit of farmers on this new technology.

Features

The completely automated self-propelled six row rice transplanter is powered by a 14-hp engine with two forward and one reverse gear speeds for field travel and is mounted on a set of rubber tyres in the front and traction wheels at the rear.

The power-steering system provided in it offers easy operation at small turning radius and can effectively plant 14-day old rice seedlings on one acre per hour, according to Dr A. Sampathrajan, Dean (Agricultural engineering), TNAU.

The rotary transplanting picker mechanism with fixed row spacing of 30 cm and adjustable plant-to-plant spacing of 13-28 cm in steps enables transplanting of seedlings at a depth ranging from 0.8 to 4 cm maintaining uniform planting depth. It carries an automatic hydraulic levelling system to keep the transplanting depths constant and row marking and aligning systems to synchronise the subsequent transplanting passes.

The most important pre-requisite for using this machine for transplanting is the preparation of special mat nursery on perforated plastic trays. Soil is filled in the trays and seeded using special sowing machines intended for automating this operation. These trays are left in water inundated fields to allow the seeds to germinate and the 14-day seedlings are taken out and fed into the transplanter for planting.

In Coimbatore, around 25 entrepreneurs and skilled men were trained on nursery raising technique, the transplanter operation and main field transplanting technique and the demo was conducted by the technical personnel of Yanmar Agricultural Marketing Company from Japan, the TNAU communication added.

More Stories on : Rice | Technology | Tamil Nadu

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
NCDEX to launch futures for carbon credits

Rice planter machine put on demo in TNAU

Eastern Bay warming up in advance of ‘low’

Retail chains in talks to buy Alphonso mangoes

Tea plantations upset over minimum wage proposal

Spot rubber rules steady

7-week high offer at Coonoor tea sales

Buddhadeb urged to take up raw cotton export issue with PM

Pepper futures turn volatile

Nod for NMCE July, Sept coffee contracts

Chana futures recover on short covering

Export ban goes on castor, coconut oils

NCDC disburses Rs 320 cr in 2007-08

Dream projects push up land values to exorbitant rates