Chilli is cultivated in 2.23 lakh hectare in Andhra Pradesh, 1.62 lakh hectare in Karnataka and 98,000 hectare in Maharashtra. A tractor operated low cost raised bed former-cum-transplanter for chilli and other vegetable crops has been designed and fabricated at our institute.
The main components of the transplanter are frame, ridgers, punch wheels, protray stand and operator seats. The ridgers form a raised bed of 1.20m base width, 90cm top width and 15 cm. height. The seedlings are kept with protrays on protray stand. The seedlings can be transplanted in 3 rows at spacing of 40cm or 2 rows at spacing of 60cm or one row of spacing of 120cm by using 3 or 2 or 1 punch wheel.
The spacing between seedlings can be adjusted to 30 or 45 or 60cm by adjusting the spacing of punches on punch wheels. The punch wheels dig the pits of 5x5x5cm dimensions on the raised bed. The operators pick the seedling from protrays and place the seedlings manually in the pits.
The earthing-up is done around the seedling and the pit is closed. The watering can also be done to the seedlings by providing watering system.
The transplanter is suitable for transplanting chillies, capsicum, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower and brinjal. The transplanter can also plant potato, gladioli and tuberose tubers.
The cost of manual bund forming and chilli seedling transplanting is about Rs. 4800/hectare while with transplanter the cost of bed forming and transplanting is Rs. 2800/hectare. The dry chilli yield was same in both manually transplanted and machine transplanted crop of Arka Lohit variety (2.3 tonne/hectare).
The transplanter can be easily adopted in chilli growing areas. The approximate price of the transplanter is Rs.35,000/- and is suitable for 35 hp tractor. The remaining operations of weeding and spraying can also be done by the tractor in raised bed paired row crop transplanted by the transplanter.
For further information, write to Director, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore - 560 089 or director@iihr.ernet.in.
