Animal Drawn Improved Sowing Equipment for Mustard in Terraces of Sikkim in India

The sowing of mustard is in practice by broadcasting and followed by leveling with traditional leveler (dande) in all the four districts of Sikkim in India. The five sowing equipment were evaluated for sowing of mustard. The animal drawn equipment included single row improved mustard seed drill, two row improved seed drill, single row improved multi-crop planter, improved multi-purpose tool frame with seeding attachment and sowing under zero till condition by two row improved seed drill. Their performances were compared with traditional sowing practice which saved costly seeds (8.5%) due to sowing in line. The seed drill hopper bottom was provided mild steel plates having 5 mm holes at the centre for mustard seed rate control. The sowing by single row unit and two row sowing units indicated work rate of 300-350 and 650-770 m(2)/h (at 300 mm row spacing), respectively. The maximum net saving in sowing of mustard (US $ 47.72/ha) was with zero till using two row improved seed drill but yield (10.7 q/ha) was lower in comparison to other methods of mustard sowing. The highest work rate (780 m2/h) was in the sowing of mustard by animal drawn two row improved multi-purpose tool frame with seeding attachment followed by two row improved seed drill. The draft values for all improved equipment varied from 226 N to 370 N which were within the limit of draught developed by an average pair of bullocks in Sikkim.