Manual Broadcasting Research Articles

Exploring the feasibility of using drones for seeding of rice (Oryza sativa. L.)

Rice planters worldwide face increasing challenges such as water scarcity, labor shortages and rising production costs. Traditional rice production techniques are time-consuming, labor-intensive, less economical, and more susceptible to the excessive use of farm inputs. These conditions necessitate an advanced crop establishment technique that offers higher returns with lower input and labor than traditional methods. A field study was performed to assess the viability of employing drones for rice planting compared to alternative establishment methods concerning rice productivity. The treatments consisted of four different seed rates (30, 40, 50, and 60 kg ha?¹) for drone seeding, compared with drum seeding, manual broadcasting, and transplanting. The performance of drone seeding was assessed using various growth and yield parameters. Transplanted rice exhibited significantly higher growth, yield parameters, and grain yield than other methods; however, it was economically inferior to direct seeding methods, either by drum seeder or drones. Direct seeding using a drum seeder at 30 kg ha?¹ and drone seeding at 40 kg ha?¹ produced comparable growth and yield. Notably, drone seeding with a 40 kg ha?¹ seed rate resulted in significantly higher growth, yield parameters, and overall yield than manual broadcasting. This method saved 20 kg ha?¹ of seeds and increased rice yield by 13% compared to manual broadcasting at 60 kg ha?¹. Considering the issues of labor scarcity, timeliness of operation, and cost of establishment, drone seeding at a rate of 40 kg ha?¹ is deemed a more sustainable and forward-looking technique for rice crop establishment.

Dynamics of soil penetration resistance, moisture depletion pattern and crop productivity determined by mechanized cultivation and lifesaving irrigation in zero till blackgram

Rice fallow black gram is grown under the residual moisture situation as a relay crop in heavy texture montmorillonite clay soil under zero till condition. Since the crop is raised during post monsoon season, the crop often experiences terminal stress due to limited water availability and no rainfall. Surface irrigation in montmorillonite clay soil is determent to pulse crop as inundation causes wilting. Therefore, zero tilled rice fallow black gram has to be supplemented with micro irrigation at flowering stage (35 days after sowing) to alleviate moisture stress and to increase the productivity as well. Hence micro farm pond in a corner of one ha field was created to harvest the rain water during monsoon season and the same was utilized to supplement the crop with lifesaving irrigation through mobile sprinkler at flowering stage for the crop grown under conservation agriculture. Soil cracking is also the common phenomena of montmorillonite clay soil where evaporations losses would be more through crack surfaces. The present study was therefore conducted to study the changes in the soil physical properties, crop establishment and productivity in conjunction with mechanized sowing and harvest and supplemental mobile sprinkler irrigation. Sowing of black gram by broadcasting 10 days prior to the manual harvest of rice, manual drawn single row seed drill after the machine harvest of rice and sowing by broadcasting at 4 days prior to machine harvest of rice was experimented separately and in combination with lifesaving irrigation. Results indicated that the number of wheel passes and lifesaving irrigation had a very strong impact on soil penetration resistance and soil moisture. Combined harvester followed by no till seed drill increased the soil penetration resistance in all the layers (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm). Two passes of wheel increased the mean soil penetration resistance from 407 KPa to 502 KPa. The soil penetration resistance (0–5 cm) at harvest shown that black gram sown by manual broadcasting 10 days prior to manual harvest of paddy supplemented with life irrigation on 30 DAS reduced the soil penetration resistance from 690 Kpa to 500 Kpa, 740 Kpa to 600 Kpa and 760 Kpa to 620 Kpa respectively at 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm layer. In general, moisture depletion rate was rapid in the surface layer of 0–5 cm as compared to other layers of 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm up to 30 DAS (Flowering stage). The moisture content and the soil penetration resistance had an inverse relationship. The soil penetration resistance also had an inverse relationship with the root length in which the root length lowers as the soil penetration resistance increases. The soil crack measured at 60 DAS was deeper with no till seed drill (width of 3.94 cm and depth of 13.67 cm) which was mainly due to surface layer compaction. The relative water content, specific leaf weight and chlorophyll content were significantly improved through the supplemental irrigation given on 30 DAS irrespective of crop establishment methods. The results further indicated that compaction of ploughed layer in the moist soil due to combined harvester and no till seed drill had a negative impact on yield (457 kg ha−1), which was improved by 19.03 per cent due to increased soil moisture with supplemental irrigation. The mean yield increase across different treatments due to supplemental lifesaving irrigation through mobile sprinkler was 20.4 per cent.

Performance of Harvesting Residue Treatment Methods in South African Pine Plantations

Forest harvesting generates variable amounts of residue that pose a fire hazard and a hindrance to regeneration and must be managed accordingly. In South Africa, burning is the most common residue management method, but there is interest in introducing safer and more effective techniques, such as mulching. For that reason, a productivity study was conducted in the Eastern Cape province after a mechanised cut-to-length (harvester and forwarder) harvesting operation to gather information on the productivity, cost, and work quality of the three main alternatives: manual broadcasting, manual broadcasting followed by mulching with an adapted farm tractor and mulching with a purpose-built mulcher. The stem wood residues after harvesting ranged from 12 to 14 ODT/ha. The average time consumption was 16 worker h/ha for manual broadcasting, 3.6 worker h/ha for mulching with a farm tractor, and 0.9 worker h/ha for mulching using a purpose-built mulcher (one pass). Manual broadcasting was the cheapest option, at an average cost of 400 ZAR/ha. Mulching with a farm tractor and a purpose-built mulcher incurred an average cost of 3267 ZAR/ha and 4083 ZAR/ha, respectively. Manual broadcasting achieved a minimal reduction in residue size, with 50% of the slash (branches and stem wood) having a mean length greater than 40 cm. When mulching with a farm tractor was applied, 49% of the slash (branches and stem wood) length was reduced to about 30 cm. When a purpose-built mulcher was used, only 10% of the slash elements exceeded 40 cm in length.

Effect of Tillage and Sowing Methods on Wheat Production in the Upper Terraces of the Northern State (Sudan)

The objective of this study was to select the best tillage andsowing methods for large scale production of wheat in the Northern Stateof Sudan. Eight treatments comprising five tillage methods (Discploughing + disc harrowing + leveling; moldboard ploughing + discharrowing + leveling; chisel ploughing + disc harrowing + leveling; lightoffset disc harrowing + leveling; zero tillage as control) and three sowingmethods (manual broadcasting + cultivation; manual broadcasting + lightdisc harrowing; seed drilling on flat land) were compared in a split-plotdesign arrangement for two seasons (2000/ 01 and 2001/ 02). The greatestaverage yields were obtained by using disc plough + disc harrow +leveling (4.0 ton/ha) and chisel plough + disc harrowing + leveling (3.9ton/ha) compared with other tillage methods. Seed drilling as well ascultivation after broadcasting resulted in significantly (P<0.01) higheraverage yields (3.9 ton/ha) than harrowing after broadcasting for the twoseasons

Combing mechanical side-deep fertilization and controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer to increase nitrogen use efficiency by reducing ammonia volatilization in a double rice cropping system

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization losses result in low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and various environmental impacts in agroecosystems. Machine-transplanted rice with side-deep fertilization (MRSF) has been recommended as an effective alternative to traditional transplantation with manual broadcasting of fertilizer. Controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer (CRF) can enhance rice yield and NUE in paddy fields. However, there is scarce information about combined effects of MRSF and CRF on NH3 volatilization loss and rice grain yield, NUE, net economic benefit (NEB) in a double rice cropping system. In this study, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of MRSF with CRF on grain yields, NUE and economic returns of early rice and late rice from 2019 to 2021, as well as NH3 emissions in two rice seasons (2019 and 2021). Six treatments were designed as no N fertilizer (N0), compound fertilizer broadcasting (CFB), compound fertilizer side-deep placement (CFD), CRF broadcasting (CRFB), CRF side-deep placement (CRFD1), and single side-deep placement of CRF (CRFD2). The results showed that the CFD and CRFB treatments decreased NH3 volatilization while enhancing or maintaining rice yield and NUE compared to the CFB treatment. MRSF with CRF (CRFD1 and CRFD2) significantly reduced NH3 emissions of early and late rice by 57.6–67.9% and 62.2–80.9% by decreasing the NH4+–N concentrations in the surface water compared to the CFB treatment, respectively. Rice grain yields in the MRSF with CRF treatments increased by 3.9–17.3% in early rice and 5.4–21.6% in late rice relative to the CFB treatment. In addition, MRSF with CRF treatments improved NUE for early and late rice from 32.1 to 36.2% and 21.3–28.4% in the CFB treatment to 48.4–61.2% and 39.7–62.3%, respectively. The yield-scale NH3 volatilization losses were reduced under the MRSF with CRF treatments by 61.2–71.5% in early rice and 67.4–84.3% in late rice. Furthermore, MRSF with single basal application of CRF reduced time-consuming and labor-intensive while increasing rice yields and net economic benefits. Overall, co-application of MRSF and CRF can reduce NH3 emissions, and improve rice yield, NUE and profitability in double rice cropping systems.

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF WALK-BEHIND GRANULAR FERTILIZER APPLICATOR FOR PRECISE FERTILIZER APPLICATION

The balanced use of fertilizer play vital role to maintain required nutrients level in the plants for their better growth. Currently, most of the fertilizer addition is carried out using manual broadcasting that reduces the fertilizer use efficiency due to non-uniform fertilizer distribution. Moreover, the excessive use of fertilizer not only results fertilizer wastage but also affect output quality of produce along with environmental pollution. Thus, in order to address these serious concerns and to increase fertilizer use efficiency, this research study was carried out for the development and testing of walk behind granular fertilizer applicator. The development of the applicator was carried out using locally available materials to reduce its capital cost. The performance evaluation of fertilizer applicator was carried out under laboratory and actual field conditions to determine various parameters like application rate, fertilizer missing index, fertilizer droppage rate, wheel slippage and field efficiency. The results showed that the average fertilizer rate for maize and cotton crop was found to be 69.17 and 157.05 kg/ha respectively. The fertilizer missing index was found to be zero. The average theoretical and effective field capacity was found to be 0.245 and 0.197 ha/h respectively with an average field efficiency of 81.52%. The average wheel slippage was calculated to be 8.78%.

Effect of the application of potassium on the yield of corn (zea mays L.) in La Frailesca, chiapas Mexico / Efeito da aplicação de potássio na produção de milho (zea mays L.) em La Frailesca, chiapas, México

In recently soil analysis in La Frailesca Chiapas, it has been detected that most soils have low exchangeable potasium (K) concentrations, therefore maize plants show symptoms of deficiency of this nutrient, which can affect the yield. The maize response was evaluated at four doses of K (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg K2O ha-1) in three locations with non-acid soils. A randomized block design with five replications was used, and potassium chloride (KCl) as a potassium source. KCl was applied by manual broadcasting and was incorporated to the soil 10 and 15 cm deep with a disc harrow. In all three locations a significant positive response was observed (p <0.05) to which a lineal-plateau model was adjusted, with an average increase in yield of 1 964 kg ha-1 (150% higher than without K) with 90 kg K2O ha-1. No response was observed to higher doses. The regression equation for the linear part of the response model is: Yield (kg ha-1) = 3 855 + 22 kg K2O ha-1. The agronomic efficiency of K at the dose of 90 kg K2O ha-1 was higher than the reference range (7 to 15 kg grain.kg-1 K2O). At the same time, this treatment had the highest net benefit and a marginal rate of return of 370%. Under the conditions of this study, the application of 90 kg K2O ha-1 presented the highest yield, economic benefit and agronomic efficiency.

Deep placement of nitrogen fertilizer increases rice yield and energy production efficiency under different mechanical rice production systems

Increasing energy output and improving energy production efficiency is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of rice production systems in China. Present study assessed the energy input/output and its production efficiency for manual transplanted rice with manual broadcasting fertilizer (TR-MBF), mechanical pot-seedling transplanted rice synchronized with deep fertilization (MPST-DF), and mechanical hill direct-seeding rice synchronized with deep fertilization (MHDS-DF) in a three-year field experiment. Two rice cultivars i.e., Yuxiangyouzhan (YXYZ, inbred rice) and Wufengyou615 (WFY615, hybrid rice) were used to determine the energy input/output and production efficiency of each system. Results depicted that the MHDS-DF and MPST-DF treatment substantially improved the grain yield by 20.9% and 32.3% for WFY615 and YXYZ owing to enhanced total above-ground biomass (TAB) and leaf area index (LAI), respectively. Means across years and cultivars for energy input in the TR-MBF, MPST-DF, and MHDS-DF were remained 31918.0, 35267.1 and 36036.7 MJ ha−1, respectively. The energy consumed by diesel and fertilizer for energy inputs in the production system exceeds 70% of the total energy input. Moreover, the three rice production systems were highly dependent on non-renewable energy. The highest output energy and net energy were obtained for MHDS-DF and MPST-DF treatments with 221517.2 and 185670.0 MJ ha-1, respectively. Among the three rice production systems, the highest energy use efficiency, energy productivity efficiency, energy profitability efficiency was found in MPST-DF, which was slightly higher than MHDS-DF. However, the human energy profitability efficiency of MHDS-DF treatment was significantly higher than other treatments. Therefore, MHDS-DF and MPST-DF could be best alternative technologies than conventional rice production systems with improved energy input and energy production efficiency in South China. Furthermore, both MHDS-DF and MPST-DF would also be suitable in the regions with lack of labor force for rice production.

Effect of Some Seed Bed Preparation Systems on Wheat Yield Under Raised Bed-Mechanical Drilling Method

This study aimed to good seedbed preparation systems and the best sowing methods on some varieties of wheat. The main experiments were carried out three seed bed preparation systems, three sowing methods and three varieties of wheat. The results showed that best preparation systems were ploughing the land with T3, moldboard plough followed by chisel plough (2passes)followed by rotary followed by land leveler(mb+2ch+R+Ll). The maximum germination percent recorded 94.5% for seeds before sowing and manual method (broadcasting).The greater average of height of wheat stem was 99cm of Gemiza11 under T3(mb+2ch+R+Ll) and drilling on raised bed. Whereas the greater average number of spike per m2 was 403.6 for Gemiza9 above conditions. The productivity increased of 15.6 and 24.5 % when sowing by drilling on raised bed compared to drilling on surface and manual broadcasting, respectively under different preparation, the highest varieties in response to sowing on raised beds were Gemiza11,Gemiza9 and Misr1 its productivity reached 4.14, 3.77 and 3.2ton/fed, respectively. The lowest energy per unit of production was 20.7 kWh/ton using modified seed drill under T1 chisel plough (2passes) followed by land leveler(2ch +Ll) with Gemiza11. Finally, it is recommended to apply the modified seed drill on raised bed under T3(mb+2ch+R+Ll) for Gemiza11variety.

Effect of some Soil Preparation Systems on the Amount Water Added and Emergence Percentage for Egyptian Clover

Field experiments were carried out in a clay soil during season of 2020 at Arumon village, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. The aim of this work was to achieve effect of some soil preparation systems on the amount of water added with three irrigation conditions (irrigation for agriculture, irrigation for urgency and irrigation after 12 days of previous irrigation) and seeds emergence percentage for Egyptian clover yield so productivity of the first mowing. To fulfill this goal, the following experiments were used; the chisel plow at a depth of 15 cm (one pass) followed by laser land leveling (T1); the chisel plow at a depth of 15 cm (one pass) followed by traditional land leveling (T2), and the used land with rice residues left on it without leveling (T3). The planting was carried out by manual broadcasting (30 kg / fed) on all experiments, and all planting treatments were content under all above variables.- The minimum height and amount of water on the breeding surface after irrigation were 51 mm and 214.2 m3/fed, respectively, these results was obtained by using T1, while for the maximum values were 152 mm and 586.6 m3/fed, respectively, these results were obtained by using T3. - The maximum seeds emergence percentage, productivity of the first mowing and water use efficiency were 65%, 29.1 Mg/fed and 0.14 Mg/m3, respectively, these results was obtained by using T1, while for the minimum values were 33%, 16.4 Mg/fed and 0.028 Mg/m3, respectively, these results was obtained by using T3.

Productivity and profitability of mechanized deep nitrogen fertilization in mechanical pot‐seedling transplanting rice in South China

AbstractThe deep nitrogen (N) fertilization coupled with mechanical pot‐seedling transplanting rice (DNF‐MPT) is an effective alternative to traditional transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) with broadcasting fertilizer; however, little is known about its effects on grain yield, nutrient accumulation, and economic profitability. In present study, a 2‐yr field experiment was conducted in early seasons (Mar.–July) of 2019 and 2020. All seedlings were transplanted by DNF‐MPT, whereas four treatments were designed as mechanized deep placement of all fertilizers as basal fertilizer (MD); mechanized deep placement of 70% basal fertilizer and 30% broadcasting fertilizers at panicle initiation (MDB); manual broadcasting of 40, 30, and 30% fertilizers at the transplanting, tillering, and panicle initiation stages, respectively (MB); and no fertilizer (CK). The results indicated that the MD treatment substantially improved the grain yield by 33.48–36.35%, total N accumulation by 26.38–44.15%, total phosphorus (P) accumulation by 28.72–30.23%, and total potassium (K) accumulation by 25.61–37.33% compared with MB. Deep placement of N fertilization treatments, that is, MD and MDB, remarkably promoted root morphological indexes including total root volume, total root length, and root superficial area. Furthermore, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase activities, and total chlorophyll content of leaves were also enhanced under deep placement of N fertilizer. Overall, the MD treatment had the highest benefit/cost ratio due to high gross returns and low input costs. Therefore, deep placement of N fertilizer coupled with mechanical pot‐seedling transplanting rice could be better alternative to conventional rice production system with more economic benefits.

Evaluation of Farmers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Sesame Seed Driller Machine Rental Service in Kafta-Humera District, Western Tigray, Ethiopia

The use of row planter in Ethiopia for sesame production is almost at the infant stage, and most seeds were typically sown through manual broadcasting as the tariff of imported agricultural machinery (row planter) is high. This shows that poor and small-scale farmers are unable to purchase row planter/sesame seed driller machine/ as its cost is expensive and their land is small. Hence, this study has assessed farmers' willingness to pay to rent sesame seed driller machine service by conducting a survey of 124 farmers in Kafta-humera district, western Tigray, Ethiopia. A survey questionnaire related to CVM was designed and face-to-face interviews were made to collect the data. The descriptive result showed that 85.48% of the farmers were willing to rent the Sesame seed driller machine with a mean of ETB 911.37 per hectare. The Probit regression results confirm that the educational level, access to extension service, the income of the household, and access to credit were the factors that affecting the farmers’ level of willingness to pay positively. However, the cultivable land size was negatively influencing willingness to rent sesame seed driller machine by the farmers. Regarding the perception of farmers, majority of the respondents were perceived positively particularly with the statements of “sesame seed driller machine decreases weed occurrence and makes easy to control weed, increases sesame grain yield and it makes farmers financially profitable". However, they perceived negatively on that it drills a higher seed rate and missed plant to some extent. The study, therefore, recommends encouraging well educated and better off people to engage in sesame farming, overhauling agricultural extension services. Moreover, it is suggested that investors, cooperatives or private companies should introduce sesame seed driller machine not only for themselves but also to rent service at a fair price.

A study on mechanization of rice-green gram cropping system using animal power on small farms in Odisha following conservation farming with cost-economics

A field experiment was conducted in farmers’ fields in village-Govindpur, Mohana, Gajapati district, Odisha where rice-green gram cropping system is the prevailing practice. For conservation agriculture point of view, performance evaluation of the CIAE bullock drawn 3 row seed drill under zero till condition was conducted for line sowing of green gram during Rabi season following kharif paddy and it was compared with conventional method of twice ploughing by local wooden plough followed by manual broadcasting of green gram seeds. Performance evaluation of OUAT bullock drawn mb plough, OUAT bullock drawn puddler and OUAT bullock drawn 8 row drum seeder was conducted for line sowing of pre-germinated paddy seeds during kharif season which was compared with conventional random transplanting method for wet land paddy cultivation.The overall performance CIAE seed drill with zero till tynes was superior to the conventional method considering the higher yield and B:C ratio and lesser labour requirement along with plant growth parameters.Considering the plant growth parameters and yield parameters and cost of operation the bullock drawn drum seeder was found superior to conventional random transplanting method.

Review of precision rice hill-drop drilling technology and machine for paddy

Mechanized rice direct seeding is a cost-effective and efficient approach for rice cultivation. Recently, the use of rice direct seeding has been increasing rapidly owing to rural labour shortages and continuous increases in agricultural production costs. This article reviews the research and application progress of mechanized rice direct seeding including direct seeding technologies, precision rice seeding, precision rice seed-metering devices, key supporting agronomy technologies for mechanized rice direct seeding. South China Agricultural University developed precision rice hill-drop drilling (PRHDD) with synchronous furrowing and ridging technology and series machines for paddy that affords remarkable advantages in terms of saving time and labour, higher yield, and higher efficiency. In this approach, pre-germinated seeds are uniformly hill-dropped in the expected positions in puddled soil. It significantly improved the crop growth population and effectively solved the problems of high frequency of disease and pests caused by the irregular distribution of rice seeds with manual broadcasting, and generally reduces seed usage and increases the yield. Therefore, this technology has broad application prospects and great potential for promoting the development of mechanized rice direct seeding in China. Keywords: rice, precision rice seeder, hill-drop drilling for paddy rice, mechanical direct seeding DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20181103.4249 Citation: Zhang M H, Wang Z M, Luo X W, Zang Y, Yang W W, Xing H, et al. Review of precision rice hill-drop drilling technology and machine for paddy. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(3): 1–11.

Review of precision rice hill-drop drilling technology and machine for paddy

Mechanized rice direct seeding is a cost-effective and efficient approach for rice cultivation. Recently, the use of rice direct seeding has been increasing rapidly owing to rural labour shortages and continuous increases in agricultural production costs. This article reviews the research and application progress of mechanized rice direct seeding including direct seeding technologies, precision rice seeding, precision rice seed-metering devices, key supporting agronomy technologies for mechanized rice direct seeding. South China Agricultural University developed precision rice hill-drop drilling (PRHDD) with synchronous furrowing and ridging technology and series machines for paddy that affords remarkable advantages in terms of saving time and labour, higher yield, and higher efficiency. In this approach, pre-germinated seeds are uniformly hill-dropped in the expected positions in puddled soil. It significantly improved the crop growth population and effectively solved the problems of high frequency of disease and pests caused by the irregular distribution of rice seeds with manual broadcasting, and generally reduces seed usage and increases the yield. Therefore, this technology has broad application prospects and great potential for promoting the development of mechanized rice direct seeding in China. Keywords: rice, precision rice seeder, hill-drop drilling for paddy rice, mechanical direct seeding DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20181103.4249 Citation: Zhang M H, Wang Z M, Luo X W, Zang Y, Yang W W, Xing H, et al. Review of precision rice hill-drop drilling technology and machine for paddy. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(3): 1–11.

A SURVEY OF RICE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

An assessment of rice production and processing in South-Eastern Nigeria was carried out by investigative survey approach. The survey was basically to ascertain the extent of mechanization applicable in the area to enable the agricultural policy makers device the modalities for improving rice production and processing in the area. According to the results obtained from the study, the planting period of rice in the area was mostly between May and August. Virtually 77% of the farmers raise the rice seedlings in the nursery bed before transplanting to the permanent seed bed while 23% sow the seeds directly to the seed bed where they germinate and grow to maturity. Results revealed that 75% of the farmers in the South-Eastern Nigeria use manual labour in the seed bed preparation while 25% use tractors. It was observable from the results that 15-15-15 NPK and urea fertilizers were predominantly used by the farmers in the area for rice production and the application method was mostly by manual broad casting over the planted area. Results also recorded that rice harvesting mostly took place from October – December; and about 69% of the farmers harvest their rice manually while 31% use mechanical means. More so, average of 49.6% of the farmers thresh their harvested rice manually while 50.4% of them use mechanized means. It was also observed that 93% of the farmers use both steam heating and total drenching method in parboiling the paddy rice while 3.4% and 3.6% use steam heating and total drenching respectively in parboiling the paddy rice. The milling method applicable in the area was mainly by mechanical means with 73.6% of the farmers who use the method while 10.4% of the farmers use manual method. The farmers generally use sacks in bagging and/or storing both the paddy and milled rice. Finally results showed that mechanization of rice production and processing has not received much attention as most of the farmers still use manual labour and traditional approach in the production and processing of rice. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i1.27

A SURVEY OF RICE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

An assessment of rice production and processing in South-Eastern Nigeria was carried out by investigative survey approach. The survey was basically to ascertain the extent of mechanization applicable in the area to enable the agricultural policy makers device the modalities for improving rice production and processing in the area. According to the results obtained from the study, the planting period of rice in the area was mostly between May and August. Virtually 77% of the farmers raise the rice seedlings in the nursery bed before transplanting to the permanent seed bed while 23% sow the seeds directly to the seed bed where they germinate and grow to maturity. Results revealed that 75% of the farmers in the South-Eastern Nigeria use manual labour in the seed bed preparation while 25% use tractors. It was observable from the results that 15-15-15 NPK and urea fertilizers were predominantly used by the farmers in the area for rice production and the application method was mostly by manual broad casting over the planted area. Results also recorded that rice harvesting mostly took place from October – December; and about 69% of the farmers harvest their rice manually while 31% use mechanical means. More so, average of 49.6% of the farmers thresh their harvested rice manually while 50.4% of them use mechanized means. It was also observed that 93% of the farmers use both steam heating and total drenching method in parboiling the paddy rice while 3.4% and 3.6% use steam heating and total drenching respectively in parboiling the paddy rice. The milling method applicable in the area was mainly by mechanical means with 73.6% of the farmers who use the method while 10.4% of the farmers use manual method. The farmers generally use sacks in bagging and/or storing both the paddy and milled rice. Finally results showed that mechanization of rice production and processing has not received much attention as most of the farmers still use manual labour and traditional approach in the production and processing of rice. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i1.27

Development of a Portable Pneumatic Grain Broadcasting Unit

The present research was carried out in El-Sharkia Governorate, El-Sowa Village in 2014 season to develop and evaluate a portable pneumatic grain broadcasting unit under Egyptian conditions in clay soil. The study included three fan peripheral speeds of 1.7, 1.97 and 2.18 m/s with three grain path lengths of 50, 100 and 200 mm from air outlet under two types of dry and germinated grains. These parameters were evaluated with horizontal and vertical fan comparing to manual broadcasting on rice grains (Giza 178). Broadcasting width, coefficient of variance (CV), coefficient of distribution uniformity, consumed energy according to power requirements and total costs were determined under split-split plot design with three replicates for all treatments. The obtained results showed that fan peripheral speed of 2.18 m/s and outlet path length of 100 mm with horizontal fan gave the best results for all tests. The highest broadcasting widths of 10.2 and 8.8 m were obtained under horizontal fan with dry and germinated grains, respectively. The least values for CV were under fan peripheral speed of 2.18 m/s and 100 mm outlet path length. CV values were 20.22, 18.25, 17.33 and 22.21, 21.15, 19.10 under fan peripheral speed of 1.7, 1.97 and 2.18 m/s with 100 mm outlet path length for dry grains with horizontal and vertical fan positions, comparing to 47.50 for manual broadcasting. While the highest values of C.U. were 79.78, 81.75, 82.67 and 77.79, 78.85, 80.90 obtained at the same previous conditions. For germinated grains, CV values were 25.23, 21.12, 19.11 and 27.23, 25.15, 21.45 for horizontal and vertical fan, respectively comparing to 49.71 for manual broadcasting under the same fan peripheral speeds and outlet path length. The highest values of C.U. are 74.77, 78.88, 80.89 and 72.77, 74.85, 78.55 obtained at the same previous conditions. Consumed energy values were 0.56 and 0.87 kWh/fed, for dry and germinated grains, respectively. The broadcasting costs were 10.60 and 13.85 LE/fed for dry and germinated grains, respectively comparing to 20 LE/fed with the traditional method.

Effect of Nitrogen, shading and intercropping on alfalfa-ziziphus agroforestry system under arid land conditions

<p>To assess the arid lands agroforestry potential, a field experiment was performed at the Agricultural Research Station of King Abdulaziz University, located at Hada Al-Sham during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Alfalfa was evaluated in a <em>Ziziphus</em> agroforestry system at a distance of 1 m, 2 m and 4 m from the ziziphus tree and were supplied with three different levels of nitrogen fertilizer 0 kg/ha, 200 kg/ha and 400 kg/ha in the form of commercial Urea. The fertilizer were subdivided into split doses and applied as manual broadcasting after each cutting. A split-split plot design was used with three replications. Forage growth rate and biomass accumulation were measured at ten different intervals approximately at a period of 30-40 days. Forage was harvested in 10 different cuts and all this data consisting of plant height, fresh biomass accumulation and dry biomass accumulation and leaf nitrogen content were also measured. Statistical analysis described significant impact for intercropping, planting distance and nitrogen fertilizer on all studied traits. The maximum effect of urea fertilizer was documented for the highest dose of 400 kg/ha but it was statistically non-significant to 200 kg/ha. Distance of planting from the Ziziphus tree produced variable trend for all forages at different cut numbers but 2 m produced maximum plant height and biomass accumulation for most of the cut numbers. The interaction of 200 kg N/ha, intercropping and 2 m distance produced optimum forage growth and biomass accumulation as compared to the sole plantation under no fertilization. </p>

DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTABLE PNEUMATIC GRAIN BROADCASTING UNIT

The present research was carried out in El-Sharkia Governorate, El-Sowa Village in 2014 season to develop and evaluate a portable pneumatic grain broadcasting unit under Egyptian conditions in clay soil. The study included three fan peripheral speeds of 1.7, 1.97 and 2.18 m/s with three grain path lengths of 50, 100 and 200 mm from air outlet under two types of dry and germinated grains. These parameters were evaluated with horizontal and vertical fan comparing to manual broadcasting on rice grains (Giza 178). Broadcasting width, coefficient of variance (CV), coefficient of distribution uniformity, consumed energy according to power requirements and total costs were determined under split-split plot design with three replicates for all treatments. The obtained results showed that fan peripheral speed of 2.18 m/s and outlet path length of 100 mm with horizontal fan gave the best results for all tests. The highest broadcasting widths of 10.2 and 8.8 m were obtained under horizontal fan with dry and germinated grains, respectively. The least values for CV were under fan peripheral speed of 2.18 m/s and 100 mm outlet path length. CV values were 20.22, 18.25, 17.33 and 22.21, 21.15, 19.10 under fan peripheral speed of 1.7, 1.97 and 2.18 m/s with 100 mm outlet path length for dry grains with horizontal and vertical fan positions, comparing to 47.50 for manual broadcasting. While the highest values of C.U. were 79.78, 81.75, 82.67 and 77.79, 78.85, 80.90 obtained at the same previous conditions. For germinated grains, CV values were 25.23, 21.12, 19.11 and 27.23, 25.15, 21.45 for horizontal and vertical fan, respectively comparing to 49.71 for manual broadcasting under the same fan peripheral speeds and outlet path length. The highest values of C.U. are 74.77, 78.88, 80.89 and 72.77, 74.85, 78.55 obtained at the same previous conditions. Consumed energy values were 0.56 and 0.87 kWh/fed, for dry and germinated grains, respectively. The broadcasting costs were 10.60 and 13.85 LE/fed for dry and germinated grains, respectively comparing to 20 LE/fed with the traditional method.