BENEFITS OF ZERO TILLAGE

SOWING
 Less Soil Erosion
• In no till farming, the soil is more resistant to
erosion caused by wind and water. This is
especially true when an abundance of mulch
cover (stalks, straw, leaves, pods, chaff) is
maintained on the soil surface.
 Less Soil Compaction
• Tillage busts up the natural soil structure. Loss
of structure makes the soil less able to
support heavy loads, such as the wheel traffic
from tillage operations. Loss of structure also
makes the soil inherently more vulnerable to
compaction.
 Saves You Time
• You’ll only have to pass over a field just once
(rather than three or more times), no till
farming saves you in labor costs and can also
help you get your crops planted before the soil
dries too much.
 Lower Fuel Costs
• Fewer passes across the field in no till farming
will dramatically reduce fuel costs.
 Less Soil Moisture Loss
• No till seeding leaves plant residues on the
ground, which can help keep the soil moist
and protect against evaporation caused by sun
and wind.
 Healthier Soil
• In fields that are not tilled, when the plant
residues decompose at a natural pace on the
soil surface, many life forms increase in and on
the soil. This creates a healthier field ecology.
• By avoiding tillage, soil organic matter can
increase, and this is the Number One factor
for productive soils.
Major components of the zero till
seed-cum-fertilizer drill machine
DIFFERENT COMPONENTS FITTED ON
MACHINE FRAME
 Calibration of the Seed Drill (in a
laboratory)
• Measure the diameter (D) of the drive wheel and
calculate its circumference i.e. πD in meters.
• Measure the effective width of coverage (W) in meters
of the drilling machine by multiplying number of
furrows and spacing.
• Then distance/length to cover one hectare is calculated
by dividing 10,000 m2 (area of one hectare) by
effective coverage (W).
• The distance (L) i.e. l/100th of a hectare will be equal
to L/100 in meters.
• To cover distance L, the drive wheel has to take ‘n’
turns i.e. = L/πD.
• Allowing 10% slippage of drive wheel in field
condition, the distance can be covered in ‘n’
turns i.e. = (n–0.1 n).
• Raise the seed drill so that drive wheel
becomes free to be turned. Fill the seed box,
set the seed rate adjusting lever and rotate
the wheel till seed starts falling on the ground.
Put a chalk mark on the drive wheel rim and
again rotate the wheel for ‘n’ turns.
• Collect the total seed under the seed-drill and
measure its weight. Thus, seed rate per
hectare can be calculated. Any change in the
seed rate, if required, can be accomplished by
adjusting the lever and recalibrating the
machine till the desired seed rate is obtained.
• Weigh the quantity of seed dropped from
each opener and record on the data sheet to
know the variation in different rows, if any.
 Usage and Maintenance of Machine
• Ensure all nuts and bolts are tight.
• Clean seed and fertilizer boxes properly.
• Prevent folds in the plastic pipes for fertilizer and seed.
• After sowing, remove seed and fertilizer from the boxes.
• Do not use Urea and other powder form fertilizer in the
fertilizer box.
• Adjust the depth control wheel to achieve the proper seed
depth.
• Park machine in the shed to avoid rusting.
• Remove pipes after the sowing season to increase
durability.