Success Story 6: Drum seeder

In order to maintain the spacing, crop geometry and crop establishment in case of delayed monsoon condition, DRR has designed and fabricated a 8 row drum seeder and popularized it in collaboration with IRRI under the CREMNET program. This equipment has come as a boon to the small and marginal rice farmers because of its low cost, easy to handle, adaptability and easy to fabricate by the local artisans. The device help to maintain plant to plant spacing and row to row spacing this in turn help to do the intercultural operations by using cono-weeder. It helps to save 33% of total labour requirement, 20% of seed and 25% of water. In case of delayed monsoon, water stress and labour scarce areas this equipment is of great help to the rice farmers. There is no yield decrease is noticed by using drum seeder when compared with manual and mechanical transplanting methods. Since it is costing only `. 2000/- the small and marginal farmers can afford to buy this equipment.