Development of a Low-Cost Portable Two Row Pea Planter for the Hilly Terrain of Kashmir Valley

Abstract

The physical characteristics-size (3.12 – 8.98 mm), shape (1.13 – 1.33), test weight (194.66 – 209.66 g), sphericity (0.80 – 0.81) and engineering properties- bulk density (740.33 – 772.20 kg m-3), porosity (22.13 – 30.10 %), angle of repose (42.0 – 43.66°) of commonly grown pea varieties (Arkel, PB-89 and PB-1100) were measured at 8.5 – 9.5 % moisture content to select the design parameters of working components of two row pea planter. The moisture content of the pea varieties ranged from 8.5 – 9.5 per cent. The pea planter comprised of seed hopper, metering disc, handle, furrow opener, row marker and ground wheel. The pea planter was evaluated in terms of variety (Arkel, PB – 89, PB – 1100), metering disc (cup shaped flute metering disc and grooves on periphery metering disc) and depth of seed in the seed hopper (¾, ½ and ¼ full). The optimization of the parameters through response surface methodology (RSD) using design expert 13.0 revealed that operating the pea planter with cup shaped flute metering disc (M1), variety P3 (PB-1100) at ¾th depth of seed in the seed hopper resulted in average seeding spacing of 11.37 cm, missing index 3.45%, multiple index 12.46%, quality of feed index 84.08% and rate of work 0.04 hectare per hour. At optimum condition, the efficiency of the developed prototype of two row pea planter was found to be 82.0 percent. The economic analysis through bill of material revealed the cost of the machine as Rs. 1456, operating cost of 84.20 Rs h-1, benefit cost ratio of 1.30, break-even point of 0.02 ha and pay back period of 57.77 hours. The low-cost portable pea planter can serve as the panacea to pea sowing in the hilly terrain of Kashmir valley.