Wheat: AMRI prepares low-cost bed planter
The Agriculture Mechanisation and Research Institute (AMRI) has prepared a modern and low-cost wheat bed planter.
“The modern bed planters will not only help ensure low use of water but offer bumper crop to farmers,” Agriculture Field Department Director General (DG) Ghulam Siddique said on Sunday.
The DG stated that the special machine had been prepared at a cost of Rs150,000.
He shared that the machine’s trials were being conducted in Rahim Yar Khan.
About utility of the machine, he added that sowing of wheat on beds would help save irrigation water. “Similarly, irrigation water and fertiliser efficacy would also improve through it.”
In case of more rains, water could easily be drained out from the beds, he maintained.
About AMRI, the DG revealed that the institute comprised of several sections, including design and development, fabrication, test and field research, agronomy and instrumentation. “Out of the 130 locally developed machines, 49 have become ready for use at commercial level.”
The machines included seed cleaner, grader, Rabi drill, cultivator drill, dry sowing, runner drill, Rota drill, thresher, wheat straw chopper drill, mobile Bhoosa baler, seed delinter, seed treater, Kharif drill, precision planter, cotton ridge with fertiliser and bed and furrow shaper planter, among others.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2020.