Effect of Plant Crushing by Machine Traffic on Re-Generation of Multi-Cut Berseem Fodder

摘要

There are many soft stemmed multi-cut fodder crops (berseem, lucerne, stylo) grown in fodder production farms. Harvesting large areas of crop requires operation of heavy machinery in the field where crop is standing. A study was conducted to find out the crushing of plants by machinery and reduction in yield of crop in subsequent harvesting operation. Two types of harvesting machines viz. tractor operated cutter bar type fodder harvester and riding type engine operated fodder harvester were used for harvesting berseem during first three cuts of the crop. Plant crushing by the machinery was studied with number of plants falling in unit area of the path way of machinery. The growth pattern of plant crushed under tires was observed. In berseem field, one square meter area consisted of average 124.8 to 139.3 no. of plants during different cuts, out of which 34.03 to 52.0% plants were crushed by tyres in case of tractor operated harvester. Growth behaviour of crushed plants showed that there was tendency to heal the crushing of plant by tractor tyres. The visual demarcation between the crushed and not crushed plants reduced after four days. The trend of healing continued and after 12 days after operation, there was no difference between the plants that came under tyres and the plants that did not come under tyres. The yield of harvested crop was on par with manually harvested crop during 1~(st), 2~(nd) and 3~(rd) harvesting operation.