Agriculture Education

P.P.Shelke

SMS (Agril.Engg)

INTRODUCTION:

The role of farm machinery is crucial in any farming system.  Farmers are using traditional farm implements and machinery in most of the Indian villages.  It was observed that the farmers are not much willing to adopt the improved implements because of many constraints like non availability at their place of work, timely and seasonal use of implements, not much financial provision for investment in farm implement and many such other things. 

It was then decided in consultation with the group of 9 farmers to have a study tour to Dr.Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, which is the only State Agriculture University located at about 110 Kms from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, (KVK) headquarters.

All the farmers were transported to Dr.PDKV in a Jeep which was available in Office.

Farmrs were shown the exhibition of agricultural implements at College of Agricultural Engineering and Technolgy, located at Akola.  Based on the experience of the farmers the analysis was done.  For the sake of clarity the individual opinions were recorded and are given below in few lines.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Vijay Shankarrao Bajad

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Ferti seed drill with metering device Which implement the farmer decided to use :Ferti seed drill with metering device

            Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine should be less than         

            Rs. 7500

 Opinion about the study tour: Study tours should be regularly organized

.Name of Farmer :- Shri Sanjay Kukaji Hade

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Single bullock driven implements Which implement the farmer decided to use :Fertiseed drill with metering device Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine was higher. Opinion about the study tour: Received good information about implements

Name of Farmer :- Shri Prakash Sampatrao Borkar

Implements observed by the farmer: Ferti seed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe. Which implement was liked by the farmer: Slasher Which implement the farmer decided to use :Newly developed planter Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the implements can not be afforded by the farmers. Opinion about the study tour: Only rich farmers can use the implements, smll farmers can not afford the implements.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Sanjay Kaniramji Santre

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe. Which implement was liked by the farmer: Planter Which implement the farmer decided to use :Already using the planter manufactured by M/s Kranti Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine is more Opinion about the study tour: I could see the implements which were never seen by me.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Ashru Shyamrao Khadse

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device Which implement the farmer decided to use :Implements designed for single bullock Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine is high Opinion about the study tour: I shall adopt Nadep composting technique.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Ashok Manikrao Deshmukh

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Already using Fertiseed drill with metering device Which implement the farmer decided to use :Fertiseed drill with metering device Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine is more Opinion about the study tour: Could study the implements which were never seen by me.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Ramdas Jijeba Hade

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Planter Which implement the farmer decided to use :Cost of the implements is tremendously high.  The availability is not timely and appropriate implement is not available Opinion about the cost of implement: Study tour was useful, implements were new to us but the cots are out of reach of the farmers. Opinion about the study tour: Study tours should be regularly organized

Name of Farmer :- Shri Vijay Dnyanba Khadse

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Four tyne ferti seed drill Which implement the farmer decided to use :Four tyne Fertiseed drill Opinion about the cost of implement: Farmers can not afford the costs.  Planter should be made available at KVK. Opinion about the study tour: Good information was available during the study tour; Implements new to us were seen.

Name of Farmer :- Shri Vijay Shankarrao Bajad

Implements observed by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device, Soybean reaper, cultivator, slasher, Dall Mill, Sickle, harrow and hoe blades, serrated blade, sugarcane planter, M.B. Plough, Maize Sheller, manure applicator,  Planter, power tiller operated weeder/hoe Which implement was liked by the farmer: Fertiseed drill with metering device Which implement the farmer decided to use :Fertiseed drill with metering device Opinion about the cost of implement: The cost of the machine should be less than Rs. 7500 Opinion about the study tour: Study tours should be regularly organized

Conclusion:

It was reported by the farmers that planter and fertiseed drills are mostly liked by them.  That means they are aware that the plant population is the crucial factor in deciding the yield of any crop on area basis.  Another category of farmers seems to have interested in single bullock drawn implement as they are having less area and can not maintain pair of bullocks.  The general opinion about the cost of the implement was that the cost was tremendously high for most of the implement.