Comparative performance of the Rice Transplanters in Thailand’s Field Conditions

Abstract

Field performance and planting accuracy of three different transplanters : 4-row riding type transplanter, 2-row walking type transplanter and 6-row manually operated IRRI transplanter, were evaluated and compared in actual paddy field conditions. The fields were prepared to conventional land preparation method. The 4-row riding type Japaness transplanter had a field capacity of 0.114 ha/hr or 0.926 rai/hr with the field efficiency of 68.88% when operated at 1.79 km/hr forward speed. The percentage of missing hills, buried hills and floating hills were observed to be 1.5% 1.5% and 0.5% respectively without damaged hills. The 2-row walking type transplanter had a field capacity of 0.114 ha/hr or 0.712 rai/hr when operated at 2.14 km/hr forward speed. It had a field efficiency of 88.64% . The percentages of missing hills, buried hills and floating hills were measured to be 0.5%, 1.5% and 1.0% respectively without damaged hills. The IRRI transplanter gave the field capacity of 0.050 ha/hr or 0.312 rai/hr at 0.73 km/hr operating speed. The field efficiency was measured to be 57.66%. The percentages of missing hills, buried hill and floating hills were observed to be 11.25%, 0.83% and 0.83% respectively without damaged hills.