Estimation of Field Parameters of Rice Transplanter Using RTK GNSS

Farmers and farm managers in Bangladesh encounter difficulties when assessing the field effectiveness of agricultural technology, typically due to the lack of precise data for accurate evaluations. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) are two of the important technologies of precision agriculture (PA). Using these technologies machine performance can be evaluated precisely. The paper provides a rationale for utilizing Real Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK GNSS) technology to evaluate different operational attributes (transplanting track, efficiency and turning time loss) of a rice transplanter. Geo-referenced data for rice transplanter operation during the Boro transplanting season (January-May, 2020) were collected by the GNSS receiver from a field located at Dumuria upazila, Khulna, Bangladesh. The field efficiency of rice transplanter calculated from GNSS receiver data was found higher (73.83%) compared to that obtained from manually observed data (50.948%). This is because GNSS measured time loss more precisely than manual method. Geo-referenced machine data can enable farmers and farm managers to plan their farm operation according to their accurate machine performance. The findings of the study are anticipated to provide valuable guidance for decision-making, minimize inefficiencies, and improve the overall performance of agricultural technologies like rice transplanter.