Adaptation and Performance Evaluation of Tractor Drawn Raised Bed Wheat Row Planter

An integrated tractor-drawn wheat and fertilizer planter was fabricated in Jimma Agricultural Engineering Research Center workshop and evaluated at Omo Nadda district of Oromia region at a farmer’s field. The experiment was conducted to develop and evaluate the performance of a planter capable of sowing seeds and applying fertilizer at predetermined row spacing and depths. The developed planter consisted of a frame, seed hopper, seed metering devices, seed tube, and adjustable furrow opener. The performances were evaluated in terms of seed and fertilizer rate, row spacing, depth, field capacity, field efficiency, labor cost, and economics of owning and operating. Randomized complete block design with each of three levels speeds (3, 4, and 5 km/hr) hopper fill (H<sub>0.5</sub>, H<sub>0.75</sub>, and H<sub>1)</sub> was used. There were no mechanical seeds damaged by the planter at all speed and it indicated that there was no reduction in percent germination of the seeds when compared with the recommended germination percentage. The seed and fertilizer rate was calibrated at 125 kg/ha and 150 kg/ha respectively for 20 cm row spacing and 5 cm depth as per wheat agronomic requirement. The planter was evaluated at speeds of 3, 4, and 5 km/hr and hopper filling levels of H<sub>0.5</sub>, H<sub>0.75</sub>, and H<sub>1</sub>. Both forward speed and hopper filling had a significant effect on seed and fertilizer rate at p < 0.05. The mean effective field capacity, field efficiency, and fuel consumption were 0.45 ha/hr, 91.84%, and 2.95 l/hr at a speed of 3 km/hr. Based on the performance evaluation results, it is concluded that the developed planter can be efficiently, effectively, and economically used by the farmers.