Evaluation of the UAC tool carrier used in maize production system
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Date
1980
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The Uyole Agricultural Centre (UAC) toolbar was developed to provide an effective animal drawn cultivation and planting device for use in low-
rainfall farming systems and capable of manufacture by local artisans. This work describes an essential element of the development process for this toolbar viz its evaluation in practical maize production system. The evaluation was made in terms of capacity, labour requirement, draught force, costs and weed control compared with conventional methods. A split-plot design in randomized block of two replications was laid out. Main treatments included four tillage systems (hand hoe plus hand planting; mouldboard plough plus hand planting; UAC tool carrier tine plus hand planting and UAC tool carrier tine plus planter) while sub treatments included two weeding methods (hand weeding and UAC tool carrier weeder). The UAC tool carrier tine plus hand planting, and UAC tool carrier plus planter tillage treatments gave the lowest mean grain yields of maize. There was a significant difference at 1% probability level between tillage means. There was no significant difference between weeding means. The UAC tool carrier planter gave a lower plant population than hand planting. The UAC tool carrier was not effective as a weed control tool on uncultivated plots. It resulted into more weed shoot counts and weed dry weights. There was a correlation between maize grain yields per hectare and weed dry weight per hectare. The variance ratio was highly significant at 1% probability level showing a sufficiently good fit of regression relationship. The proposed UAC tool carrier system (direct drilling; 1st weeding by hand hoe on maize rows; requirement (46?4 of the purely labour input system) and increased the area cultivable per farm family. But 1st weeding by hand hoe on maize rows which was intended to be a quick operation was limiting. The proposed system also gave not only the lowest
total costs of maize production per hectare but was one of the systems that gave the highest value of a day’s manpower. The draught force of the UAC tool carrier tine was lower than that of the mouldboard and ridger even when sweeps are attached on the former. The increase in rake angle did not have a remarkable change on the draught. The sweeps on the UAC tool carrier tine brought about more soil disturbance than without them although they increased the draught force. The unexpectedly high force to overcome rolling resistance was probably due to the size and weight of the UAC tool carrier.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Maize production, Agricultural centre, Production system, Cultivation, Planting device