A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1985

Thy prototype of FMl (Farm Machinery institute) sugarcane planter was tested at farmer's field near Faisalaba, Pakistan to evaluate its economic and field performance, to improve the workability, to specify the optimum operating conditions and to suggest the possible modifications for further improvement of the machine. The planter was evaluated for three crop varieties, two methods of placement, two methods of seedbed preparation and at four different speeds. The performance of the machine was also compared to manual planting economically and agronomically. The optimum speed of the planter was determined as 1.22 and 1.85 km/h for double sett placement and 50% overlapping of setts methods which resulted in field capacities of 0.16 and 0.21 ha/h for the two methods respectively. The machine planted sufficient no. of setts/ha but the distribution of setts was not satisfactory. The percentage of setts missing and overlapping was much higher than from manual planting. The germination rate was not significantly different from manual planting for any treatment. The labour required for machine planting on average was 27.12% of the labour required for manual planting. At present wage levels in Pakistan the planter had a breakeven point at 9.0 and 6.0 ha for both placement methods. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be concluded that machine is not suitable as such. the planter needs some modification before its adoption by the cane growers in Pakistan and the countries of similar agro-climatic conditions. Certain modifications are suggested for improving the design, especially the quality of setts distribution.