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B. Sanjeeva Reddy ¹, R. V. Adake ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Farm Machinery and Power, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad A.P., IN
2 Division of Resource Management, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad A.P, IN

Abstract

In rainfed conditions the success of crop production depends on timely seeding. The seed rate for various dryland crops varies from 4 to 140 kg/ha. Availability of a multi crop planter with replaceable metering plate is crucial to meet the seed rate requirements and to reduce the cost involved in machinery management. Though different types of planters having different seed metering mechanisms were evolved, their performance is not up to the mark. Hence, a horizontal rotor seed metering plate mechanism was developed and tested both under laboratory (2.5,3.5 and 5km/h speeds) and field conditions. The mean number of seeds metered at different forward speeds for maize and castor crop varied from 184.8 to 192.6; 185.8 to187.6, respectively when compared to theoretical metered seeds of 180. The quality of feed index of the planter ranged from 85 to 90.5 per cent and 82.7 to 97 per cent, clearly indicated the frequency distribution of seeds with in space intervals > 10 to < 30 cm. The horizontal rotor metered 85 - 93 frequency percentile seeds within 15 - 30 cm spacing intervals at operation speeds of 2.5 to 3.5km/h. At average field speeds of 2 and 3.5km/h, 70 and 65 per cent of the seeds were sown, respectively in a spacing interval of 15 - 30cm, which also indicated the higher quality of feed index for the developed planter.

Keywords

Horizontal Rotor Plate, Planter, Quality of Feed Index, Field Testing

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K. Venkanna ¹, Uttam Kumar Mandal ¹, A. J. Solomon Raju ², K. L. Sharma ¹, Ravikant V. Adake ¹, Pushpanjali ¹, B. Sanjeeva Reddy ¹, Rahul N. Masane ¹, K. Venkatravamma ¹, B. Peda Babu ¹

Affiliations
1 Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad 500 059, IN
2 Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Canning Town, South 24-Parganas 743 329, IN

Abstract

The present study was conducted to study the soil organic and inorganic carbon stocks under different land-use systems in Warangal district, Andhra Pradesh, representing semiarid tropical region of India. Results indicated that Vertisols and associated soils contained greater total C stocks, followed by Inceptisols and Alfisols. The soil organic carbon (SOC) stock was highest in Alfisols (52.84 Mg ha^-1) followed by Inceptisols (51.26 Mg ha^-1) and Vertisols and associated soils (49.33 Mg ha^-1), whereas soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stock was highest in Vertisols and associated soil (22.9 Mg ha^-1) followed by Inceptisols (17.5 Mg ha^-1) and Alfisols (12.4 Mg ha^-1). Among the different land-use systems, total C stock was highest in forest soils followed by fodder system, paddy, maize, cotton, redgram, intercrop, chilli, pe rmanent fallow and lowest in castor system. Soil nitrogen also followed similar trend as SOC stock. Significant correlation (P < 0.05) was obtained between SOC stock and soil nitrogen with Mandal-wise annual rainfall. A surface map of soil C stock and soil N was prepared for Warangal district using kriging interpolation techniques and total C stock was estimated to 0.088 Pg out of which SOC stock was 77% and SIC stock was 23% for the district. A relationship was established between Walkey-Black Carbon and SOC estimated through dry combustion method using CN analyser and it was found that Walkley-Black carbon could recover 90% of SOC for semiarid tropical soils.

Keywords

Carbon Sequestration, Forest Soils, Land-use Systems, Organic Carbon, Soil Types, Total Carbon Stocks.

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