The document discusses principles and equipment for conservation agriculture. The three main principles are minimum soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover, and crop diversification. Key equipment requirements include accurate land leveling and means to handle crop residues. Recommended slopes vary by soil type from 0.05-0.5%. Laser land leveling provides more uniform water distribution, savings in water and nutrients, and higher productivity. Components of laser leveling include a transmitter, receiver, and control box. Benefits include improved establishment, uniformity, reduced runoff, and increased yields. Limitations include high costs and technical knowledge requirements. Direct drilling machines like zero-till drills are discussed, along with operational challenges like straw accumulation. The happy seeder

2. Principles of Conservation Agriculture
Three broad interconnected principles, namely:
1. Minimum mechanical soil disturbance
2. Permanent organic soil cover.
3. Diversification of crop species grown.

3. Main requirements of equipment in a CA system
Accurate Land Levelling
Way & Means to handle loose straw
(cutting or moving aside)
Seed and fertilizer placement
Furrow closing and seed/soil compaction.
Machinery for sowing of different crop
species.

4. Recommended slopes for different soils
Type of soil Percolation
rate in cm/h
Slope (%)
Sandy 7.5 0.3-0.5
Medium 3.75 0.2-0.4
Heavy 1.25 0.05-0.2
Laser Land Levelling

5. Land looks leveled but Wide topographic
variation exists
Better distribution of water
Water savings
Improvement in nutrient use efficiencies
Option for Precision Farming
Higher crop productivity
Why Laser Leveling ?

6. Laser Transmitter
Laser Receiver
Control Box
Double Acting Hydraulic
Control Valve
Drag Scrapper
Laser-Eye Receiver
Components in Laser leveling

7. Power Tiller Operated Laser Land Leveler

8. 0.0
500.0
1000.0
1500.0
2000.0
100
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500
1700
1900
2100
2300
2500
2700
2900
Annual Usage (h)
Cost
(Rs/h)
Total Cost Rs/h (Without T)
Total Cost Rs/h (With T)
Custom Hiring Rate Rs/h
500 h/year
1300 h/year
Break even Usage of Laser Land Leveler

9. Benefits
Improved Crop Establishment
Uniform Crop Maturity
Reduced Chemical Run-off
Assist in Top Soil Management
Increased Productivity / Yield

10. Limitations
High cost of the equipment/laser instrument
Technical Know how
Irregular and small fields
Few custom operators

11. Cultivation with minimum or
zero tillage and management of
crop residues

12. Different designs of direct drilling machines have
been developed with controlled traffic measures
for energy efficient and cost-effective seeding of
crops without tillage:
Zero till drill,
No till plant drill,
Strip till drill,
Roto till drill and
Rotary slit no till drill
Happy Seeder
Super seeder

13. Zero till seed cum fertilizer drill
Zero till Seed cum Ferti drill
Field capacity: 0.3-0.4 ha/h
Saving in water:10-15 %
Saving = Rs. 2000-3000/ha

14. Strip-till drill
Used for sowing wheat and other crops in partly tilled soil.
It tills small strip of 3-4 cm and sowing is done in tilled strip.
Rest of the area remains untilled
Saves 50-70% Fuel
60-70% Time

15. Roto-Till Drill
- Sowing in Single Operation
- Field capacity = 0.25 ha/h
- Saves 30-50% fuel and 40-60% time

16. Operational Problems of Direct Drilling
 Accumulation of loose straw in the rotary
blades/furrow openers
Makes straw burning (full/partial) pre-requisite
 Traction problem in the ground wheel
 Frequent lifting of implement to clear blockages
 Non uniform seed placement
Sidhu et al., (2007)

17. Spatially Modified No/Zero Till Drill
Satisfactory for straw load
up to 6.0 t/ha.
Problem of chocking on
higher load.
Cost = 0.80 0.90 lakhs.
3 rows of furrow openers
More vertical clearance
(600 mm).

18. Attaching a seed drill immediately
behind a modified forage harvester
(straw management unit).
The straw management unit cuts,
lifts and throws the standing stubble
and loose straw onto the sown area
behind the seed drill, which sows into
bare soil.
Yield increase of 9 and 11%
compared with farmer practice
(burning) for wheat sowing.
Sidhu et al., (2007)
Combo Happy Seeder Concept

19. Happy Seeder
Power Requirement 45 hp and above
Function Direct drilling of wheat crop
Capacity 0.50 – 0.75 acre/h
Cost Rs. 1.5 – 1.75 lakh
Weight 500-700 kg
Saving Diesel, Time, Labour
Fuel Consumption 5.0-8.0 l/h Sidhu et al., 2015

20. Different Component of Happy Seeder
Boot of Happy Seeder
Blades of Happy Seeder
Press Wheel of Happy Seeder

21. Operational View
of Happy Seeder
View of Crop Stand

22. The fields should be laser leveled before sowing of the preceding crop.

For harvesting of paddy, use combine harvester having Super SMS (straw
management system) attachment.
Early morning hours may be avoided as high moisture content in residue
and dew may clog the Happy Seeder.
Ensure optimal soil moisture content at time of sowing so as to have
uniform crop establishment.
Anchored and loose straw should be in the ratio of 50:50 i.e. cutter bar
height of combine harvester should be such adjusted that during harvesting
50% of the straw remain anchored and 50% should fall as loose straw.
(Singh et al., 2018)
Tips for Efficient Working of Happy Seeder
Before operation:

23. During the Operation
 Tractor with double clutch of 45-55HP should be used to operate the
machine.
 Set engine to 1800-2000 RPM and operate tractor in 1st or 2nd gear
depending upon straw load.
 Raise happy seeder while turning.
 Adjust top link of machine to keep clearance of flails about 2-3 cm
from ground.
 Use recommended seed and fertilizer rate through calibration of happy
seeder.
 The optimum depth of seeding should be between 3.5 to 5.0 cm.
Singh et al., 2018

24. Super Straw Management System
Function: For chopping and spreading of loose straw
coming out of combine to facilitate operation of happy
seeder/spatial drill

25. Super Straw Management System (Super SMS)
Operational View of
Super SMS attached
to Harvester
View of Super SMS

27. Concurrent Use of SMS-fitted Combines and
Happy Seeder

28.  Increase in average yield of wheat by 2-4% compared to conventional till.
 Savings in the cost of labour, fuel, chemicals, etc.
(Saves aprox 20 liters of fuel/ha due to sowing of wheat in a single operation.)
(Sidhu et al. 2015)
 Increase in nutrient use efficiency by continuous recycling of residues using
over 3-4 years results in producing same yield with 30-40 kg/ha less nitrogen
use and hence significantly higher (10-15%) nutrient use efficiency
(Singh et al., 2015; Jat et al., 2017)
 Produces more crop per drop of water, by saving up to 1.0 million liters of
water/ha due to elimination of pre-sowing irrigation. Moreover, residue mulch
reduces evaporation loss equivalent to about 45 mm (0.45 million liter) during
the wheat season.
(Jat, 2017)
Advantages of Concurrent Use of Super SMS-fitted
Combines and Happy Seeder

29.  Improves soil health, by improving soil organic matter
over time, which enhances soil health, productivity
potential and soil biodiversity. (Jat et al., 2017)
 Improves environment by :
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It significantly
reduces fossil fuel requirement, thus further reducing CO
emissions.
Reduces terminal heat effects, as straw mulch lowers
canopy temperature in wheat and helps in adapting to
terminal heat. (Jat M L, 2017
Improves health of on-farm and off-farm workers.
(Bakker et al. 2013)
 Saves depletion of N, P, K and S in soil.

30. Multiple Benefits of Concurrent Use of SMS-fitted
Combines and Happy Seeder
(NAAS, 2017)

31. Super Seeder
• Single pass solution with combined application of
Soil preparation,
Seeding with fertilizer and
Press wheel
It has unique tine design.
Farmers have no need to buy or use rotary
tiller separately
It can also be used as multi-crop planter.

32. Tractor of 55-60 hp
Fuel Cons:8.0-9.0 l/acre
Cost : 2.25 to 2.50 lakhs
Operational views of super seeder

33. Cutter cum Spreader
Modified Stubble shaver machine
Chop the Straw and spread it in the field
3 rotating arm
V or D shaped blade
Cost = 0.65 lakhs

34. Paddy Straw Chopper cum Spreader
followed by Rotavator
 Minimum tillage
 Retain and mix residue
 Cost @ 2.20 lakhs
 Capacity 1 to 1.2 acre/h.
Incorporation of straw
in to the soil
Improves soil organic
matter

35. Mulching
Protective covering of straw
Prevent excessive
Evaporation
Erosion
Suppress weed,
Retain moisture.
Cost: Rs. 1.5 lakh

36. Pneumatic Planter
 Used for precise planting of cotton, maize and groundnut.
 It meters single seed at a time.
 Field capacity = 0.3 ha/h
 Saves 20-30% seeds

37. Conclusions
Direct drilling has been found to be advantageous in
terms:
• Increase traffic ability,
• Decrease soil compaction in long run,
• Reduced soil erosion due to wind and water,
• Decreased water evaporation and increased
availability of water in the soil,
• Decrease lodge condition of the crop,
• Reduced investment in machinery due to reduced
energy requirement and
• Improved timely planting and harvesting

38. Any Question ?

39. THANKS