EFFECT OF PRESSURE ATTRIBUTE ON RATE OF APPLICATION IN LIQUID FERTILIZER APPLICATION SYSTEM

The study entitled "Development of a liquid fertilizer application system for planting mechanism" was conducted in the laboratory as well as on field at ASPEE Agricultural Research Foundation, Tansa, Tal- Wada, Dist.- Palghar. Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material that is added to soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Conservative estimates report 30 to 50% of crop yields are attributed to fertilizer. Fertilizer is a key player to enhance crop production by upgrading soil fertility. Liquid fertilizer application has many advantages over solid fertilizer application. Hence, For greatest fertilizer nutrient use efficiency it is important to select the right source, the right timing, the right rate and the right method of application, it can be achieved by developing a mechanism which will place the seed in soil and also precisely apply fertilizer in liquid form at root zone of crop at required rate and discharge. The various components of liquid fertilizer application mechanism such as furrow openers, frame, power transmission system for seed drill, ball valve, liquid tank etc were designed and developed. The prototype was then tested and evaluated in laboratory by calibrating the ball valve for the required discharge at particular given tractor speed(3.5 km/h, 4.0 km/h and 4.5 km/h), pump pressure(1 kg/cm2, 2 kg/cm2 and 3 kg/cm2) and knob position(1, 2 and 3) of ball valve. The optimum requirement of liquid to be applied per meter length was 61-65 ml, hence the maximum value in the optimum range was observed at speed 3 (4.5 km/h), pressure 1 (1 Kg / cm2) and knob position 3 as 64.4 ml.