Conservation machinery for planting of Mungbean and Jute in the Southern region of Bangladesh

Southern region of Bangladesh is characterized by unfavorable ecosystem such as heavy rain, storm, salinity, water scarcity in dry season. Agricultural machinery especially conservation machinery is less practiced in this region. Mungbean and jute were planted at farmers’ fields of Barishal and Khulna districts, respectively. The zero till planter (ZT), strip till planter (ST), bed planter (BP) and power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) along with conventional tilling were used for planting of mungbean and ST, PTOS along with conventional tillage cum broadcasting and conventional tillage cum jute seedling transplanting method were used for planting of jute. The effective field capacities of ZT, ST, BP, PTOS and power tiller for mungbean planting were 0.097, 0.104, 0.082, 0.111, and 0.081 ha h^-1. The effective field capacities of ST, PTOS and power tiller for jute planting in dryland and wetland tillage were found 0.098, 0.099, 0.100 and 0.096 ha h-¹.Fuel saving by ZT, ST, BP, and PTOS was about 60% to 75% than that of power tiller. Significantly the highest grain yields of mungbean were found from zero till and strip till planted methods than those of other methods. Dry stalk and fiber yields were found from PTOS planted jute followed by strip till and conventional tillage cum broadcasting jutes. The highest benefit cost ratio (BCR) for planting of mungbean was obtained from ST (2.60) and ZT (2.40) followed by other methods. For planting of jute the highest BCR was obtained from PTOS (2.54) and ST (2.31) methods.Therefore, ZT and the ST may be recommended in Barishal region for planting of mungbean and PTOS and the ST in Khulna region for planting of jute.