Implement development for SAT Alfisols

Field operations in Alfisols and related soils require timeliness and precision for the early establishment of a crop in the rainy season. Animal-drawn, multipurpose wheeled tool carriers (WTCs) have been found to be the most appropriate machinery for this purpose. Three designs discussed in this paper covered 1 ha in 3-4 hours for different tillage operations, and could be drawn by a pair of oxen of average size. A WTC fitted with a planter-and-fertilizer applicator, consisting of an inclined plate for seed metering and1416 oscillating mechanisms for fertilizer metering and a double-shoe furrow opener, gave excellent results in sowing various crops, and covered 1 ha in 4-5 hours with an average draft of 1530 N (156 kgf) for four rows. A rolling crust breaker, developed to enhance seedling emergence through the surface crust, gave good results. Intensive primary tillage of Alfisols showed advantages in the early stages of crop growth, but they tended to disappear late in the season. Results of tillage studies conducted for 4 years indicate a need for further research to find out the comparative advantages of different intensities of primary tillage during the cropping season and off-season.