Comparative performance studies on tractor drawn puddling equipments

The study “Comparative Performance Studies on Tractor Drawn Puddling Equipments” was conducted with three primary objectives: to evaluate the performance of selected puddling equipment, to assess the effect of puddling quality under field conditions, and to analyze the cost economics of different puddling implements.The study was carried out at IGKV Raipur. During summer season of 2024. The study compares the performance of three tractor-drawn puddling implements: rotavator, cultivator with cage wheel, and disc harrow. The disc harrow showed the highest speed of 3.1 km/h and an Effective Field Capacity (EFC) of 0.870 ha/h, compared to the rotavator 2.4 km/h speed and lowest EFC of 0.434 ha/h. Field efficiency was highest with the disc harrow ×1 (T6) at 80.61%, while the cultivator with cagewheel ×2 (T2) had the lowest at 73.67%. The rotavator achieved the highest puddling index 53.84%. Fuel consumption was lowest with the disc harrow 4.70 l/ha, while the rotavator consumed the most 5.81 l/ha. Bulk density data indicated that (T5) cultivator with cagewheel + rotavator had the lowest initial bulk density of 0.912 g/cm3, reflecting better soil loosening, while T7 (disc harrow ×2) had the highest at 0.996 g/cm3. The disc harrow demonstrated effective soil compaction reduction, with a lowest Cone Index value 127.29 kPa and better fuel efficiency. In terms of depth of puddling, the cultivator with cagewheel ×2 (T2) achieved the highest depth at 144 mm, while the disc harrow ×1 (T6) had the lowest depth at 132 mm. Cost analysis revealed the disc harrow’s economic advantage, with one pass costing 891.57 Rs/ha, significantly lower than the rotavator’s 2018.88 Rs/ha.