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Sci Tech
Mechanising cane cultivation
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The sett-cutting machine prepares 4000 setts in an hour.
SUGARCANE CULTIVATION has to be mechanised to make it more remunerative. The Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore, has field tested many tractor-drawn implements, and found that they are efficient, cost-effective and cover a large area, according to Mr. Rajamohan, Farm Superintendent, SBI. Before hitching these implements to the tractor, a few adjustments have to be made. A 45 hp tractor is ideal for field operations.
Slight re-arrangements of the wheels is necessary to use the new implements for planting and other intercultural operations when the sugarcane is grown on fields thrown into ridges and furrows one meter apart.
The rear wheels should be reversed and the front wheels drawn outwards so that the distance between the two tyre centres of the front and rear wheels is maintained at 1.80 m, according to Mr. Rajamohan.
"The centre of the front and back wheels on each side should be aligned, and once these adjustments are made, the tractor is ready for hitching of the implements.
After the implements are in position, care should be taken to ensure that they do not move on the sides. This can be done by tightening the check chains provided in the tractor," explains Mr. Rajamohan, who has done extensive research on the use of tractor-drawn implements.
At SBI he has evaluated the performance of implements such as setts cutting machine, heavy type ridger (cane special), sugarcane planter, intercultivator (weeder), earthing up implement and off-barrer.
The setts cutting machine is a fixed unit, which can be hitched to a tractor or a power-tiller. When in operation the two saw toothed wheels will rotate and two persons can feed the canes to be cut into setts with two or three buds. The setts can then be treated immediately.
"With two litres of diesel, about 4000 setts can be cut by two persons in an hour. The machine cut ends are sharp without shredding, and the buds are not damaged thus ensuring a good germination percentage. The cost of the sett cutting machine is about Rs. 7800," points out Mr. Rajamohan.
The heavy type ridger if operated after adjusting the wheels of the tractor, can make three deep furrows in a single run.
The major advantages of this heavy-duty implement are that the ridges and furrows can be formed in about two hectares per day.
The furrows are deep and straight, which will ensure deeper planting of the setts and prevent lodging of the crop at later stages; irrigation water will flow uniformly all through the fields; with early and good germination of the setts and healthy, vigorous growth of the shoots.
The cross channels can be formed by a bullock drawn ridge plough prior to the planting. The approximate cost of the implement is about Rs. 14 000, according to Mr. Rajamohan.
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