Self-propelled Rice Transplanter: a Better Alternative Than Manual Transplanting

Rice transplanting is biggest challenge for the rice cultivators. Transplanting of rice with mechanical transplanter will provide timeliness in operation, saving in cost of transplanting and minimizing of human drudgery. The mechanical transplanting of paddy using self propelled transplanter is one of the option to reduce the labour requirement by 90 percent of that required in hand transplanting. Satisfactory operation of rice transplanter requires an ideal puddled soil condition created by puddling equipment togethor with optimum sedimentation period. The performance of transplanter is closely related to the sinkage of float of machine which directly dependant upon the degree of puddlings in various type of soils. The number of hills per meter of sequre depends on the seedlings density in the mat type seedling and adjustment of cutting length of fingers. A comprehensive study in respect of influence of puddled soil characteristics created by different puddlers on performance of self propelled transplanter and impact on rice crop was conducted. This book would be useful to the professionals of rice researchers, policy makers and any one intrested.