Development and field performance of an eight-row tractor-drawn system of wheat intensification planter for enhanced wheat productivity and profitability

Abstract

This research addresses the mechanization challenges in the System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) by designing and developing an 8-row tractor-drawn planter. The planter is designed to sow wheat seeds in a square pattern, featuring two spacing options for both inter-row and intra-row distances (0.2 × 0.2 m or 0.25 × 0.25 m). The planter is capable of opening furrows, placing seeds at a depth of 5 cm, and firmly covering and pressing the soil around them. Agronomic performance evaluations were carried out at two speeds (1.5 km/h and 2 km/h) of planter using treated and untreated seeds, and compared the performance with conventional sowing and manual SWI planting. The planter had a draft requirement of 3.2 kN and resulted in significantly better seed germination and grain yield compared to conventional or manually sown SWI. The machine-sown SWI plots had an average of 23.3–24.8 hills (planting points) per square meter, with 2–3 plants per hill. It was observed that 87% of the hills had 2–3 plants at a planter operating speed of 1.5 km/h for treated seeds. Final yield performance in machine-sown SWI was about 25% higher than in conventionally sown wheat, with a significant improvement in the harvest index. However, straw yield was slightly higher in conventionally sown wheat. The results demonstrate that the developed SWI planter offers a practical solution for widespread adoption of SWI technology across wheat-growing regions in India and globally.