As the world’s population grows, agriculture is facing an increasing demand for productivity, efficiency, and sustainability to ensure food security. It is the need of the hour and a challenge to change the agricultural strategy for increasing crop yields through appropriate mechanization to meet the food grain requirement of the ever increasing population. High labor demands in peak period of each operation adversely affect the timeliness of operations there by reducing the crop yield. In any agricultural operation, timeliness of operations is one of most important factors which can only be achieved if an appropriate machine is engaged. Seed planting is a major step in crop production stages that requires timeliness of operation. It is tedious, less efficient and time-consuming especially when done manually. Modernization of agriculture necessitates appropriate machinery for enhancing resource use efficiency and productivity in agriculture especially the more precise the planting operation, the better the quality and quantity of crop harvested. Further, conservation agriculture holds tremendous potential for all sizes of farms and agro-ecological systems, but its adoption is perhaps most urgently required by small holder farmers, especially those facing acute shortage of labour. Further, recycling of crop-residues in the soil is a promising option for replenishing soil fertility, improving physico-chemical properties, and enhancing/sustaining crop yield. In this regard, present investigation was set to study the Impact of tillage practices and planters on productivity, soil parameters, nutrient uptake and economics in rabi maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was carried out at Maize Research Centre, Agricultural Research Institute, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana State in spilt plot design with 3 main treatments of tillage practices viz., conventional, reduced and zero-tillage and 5 sub treatments of different planting options of planters viz., multi-crop vacuum planter, mechanical planter, seed-cum-fertilizer drill and convention planting options of bullock drawn plough and manual sowing and replicated thrice in clay loam soils during rabi 2021-22. The study revealed that, significantly higher productivity and nutrient uptake was observed in rabi maize sown with multi-crop vacuum planter under conventional tillage practice rather than reduced and zero-tillage practices. Zero-tillage practice shown promise for better soil aggregation and organic carbon content with reduced energy inputs. In general, mechanical methods of sowing incurred lower costs than conventional methods. Over all, higher B:C ratio recorded with conventional tillage practice compared to reduced and zero-tillage treatments.

Multi-crop vacuum planter, soil penetration resistance, organic carbon, bullock drawn plough, conventional tillage, zero tillage

Based on the present investigation, it can be concluded that maize sown with multi-crop vacuum planter under conventional tillage realized significantly higher grain yield, nutrient uptake and benefit cost ratio. Further, Zero-tillage resulted in higher organic carbon content, better aggregation, C content and N availability in soil, and reduced the energy inputs.

P. Vijaya, D. Sreelatha, B. Padmaja, P. Rajaiah and M. Yakadri (2022). Impact of tillage practices and planters on productivity, soil parameters, nutrient uptake and economics in rabi maize (Zea mays L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4a): 10-16.