Design and Development of Low Cost Multi-Row Manual Jute Seed Drill

摘要

A new jute sowing machine has been developed with special design technique. It meets all the requirements for jute seeding with metering and adjustable distances between seeds and rows. It uses horizontal axis rotating conic section seed box-cum-seed dispenser with seeds always in motion. The chance of blockages of seeds dispensing holes is almost nil. The special design of the seed-dispenser makes the machine very light weight, low cost and very simple to operate at very low operating cost. The machine has been tested in the fields and found fully satisfactory. It requires only one man or woman to operate and use it without any mechanical power or fuel cost. It continues to drop the seeds till almost all the seeds in box are used. The seed rate of the seed drill was 2.50-2.75 kg/ha in farmers' fields which is lower than recommended in traditional practice of 6-7 kg/ha. The average number of seeds dropped per square meter area was 124. The average effective field capacity, average field efficiency and average draft requirement of the seed drill was found as 0.17 ha/h, 88.74% and 75.16 N respectively.