Economic Analysis of Low-Cost Tractor Drawn Plastic Mulching Machine
Bhupendra Singh Parmar *
ICAR- Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal-462 038, India.
Atul Kumar Shrivastava
CAE, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Jabalpur-482 004, India.
Satish Kumar Singh
ICAR- Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal-462 038, India.
Anurag Patel
ICAR- Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal-462 038, India.
Sachin Gajendra
ICAR- Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal-462 038, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The global yearly use of plastic mulching in agriculture is 2.1 million tonnes in 2020. Agriculture is the second most significant source of GHG emissions, accounting for around 13.5% of total global anthropogenic emissions. Plastic mulching is of paramount importance in horticulture for its numerous benefits. It reduces weed development, conserves soil moisture, regulates soil temperature, and prevents soil erosion by forming a protective barrier. Traditional method of mulching is laborious, time consuming having lower efficient and accurate mulching as compared to developed low cost tractor operated mulch laying machine. It comprises soil bed preparation, drip laying, mulch laying, mulch covering, and making holes for transplanting simultaneously. This paper contains the cost analysis of developed machine and its comparison with traditional mulching method. The draft, operational speed, power requirement effective field capacity, field efficiency, and energy consumption of developed machine were found as 175 kgf, 3.5 km.h-1, 21.93 kW, 0.36 ha.h-1, 85.6 %, and 21.43 MJ.ha-1 respectively. In cost estimation it is found that the cost of operation and overall cost of developed machine were 1048.3 ₹.ha-1 and ₹13000 respectively. It turned out that the machine was economical, saving time, energy, and operating costs. By introducing the concept of affordability and simplicity, the machine has the potential to change cultivation practices, increase yields and improve farmers’ livelihoods in agricultural regions.
Keywords: Low cost mulching, mulching machine, tractor operated mulching machine, horticulture, plastic mulching
How to Cite
Downloads
References
Wang S, Fan T, Cheng W, Wang L, Zhao G, Li S, Dang Y, Zhang J. Occurrence of macroplastic debris in the long-term plastic film-mulched agricultural soil: A case study of Northwest China. Science of the Total Environment. 2022;20(831):154881.
Kasirajan S, Ngouajio M. Polyethylene and biodegradable mulches for agricultural applications: a review. Agronomy for sustainable development. 2012;32:501-29.
Li Y, Xie H, Ren Z, Ding Y, Long M, Zhang G, Qin X, Siddique KH, Liao Y. Response of soil microbial community parameters to plastic film mulch: A meta-analysis. Geoderma. 2022;15(418):115851.
Tarara JM. Microclimate modification with plastic mulch. HortScience. 2000;35(2):169-80.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MA&FW), Second Advance Estimates (2021-22) of Area and Production of Horticultural Crops released. Available:https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1841480
Lightfoot DR. Morphology and ecology of lithic-mulch agriculture. Geographical Review. 1994; 1:172-85.
Rowe-Dutton P. The mulching of vegetables. Soil science. 1958;85(4):233.
Von Moos N, Burkhardt-Holm P, Köhler A. Uptake and effects of microplastics on cells and tissue of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L. after an experimental exposure. Environmental science & technology. 2012;46(20):11327-35.
Schales FD, Sheldrake R. Mulch effects on soil conditions and tomato plant response. Proc. Natl. Agr. Plast. Congr. 1963;4:78-90.
Emmert EM. Black polyethylene for mulching vegetables. InProc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci 1957; 69:464-469.
IPCC. Climate change 2013: the physical science basis, Final Draft Underlying Scientific-technical Assessment. Stockholm, Sweden. 2013;31.
Tyagi L, Kumari B, Singh SN. Water management-A tool for methane mitigation from irrigated paddy fields. Science of the Total Environment. 2010;408(5):1085- 90.
Guo C, Liu X. Effect of soil mulching on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in China: A meta-analysis. Plos one. 2022;17(1):e0262120.
Lamont Jr WJ. Plastic mulches for the production of vegetable crops. In A guide to the manufacture, performance, and potential of plastics in agriculture 2017; 45-60. Elsevier.
Xue Y, Cao S, Xu Z, Jin T, Jia T, Yan C. Status and trends in application of technology to prevent plastic film residual pollution. Journal of Agro-Environment Science. 2017; 36(8):1595-600.
Sharma R, Bhardwaj S. Effect of mulching on soil and water conservation-A review. Agricultural Reviews. 2017; 38(4):311-5.