Image Source- ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal

In a significant leap toward the mechanization of precision agriculture, the ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal, has unveiled a tractor-operated plastic mulch layer-cum-planter that promises to revolutionize the cultivation of high-value crops across India. The innovation is designed to replace the traditionally labor-intensive, time-consuming process of preparing raised beds, laying plastic mulch, installing drip irrigation lines, and sowing seeds—operations that typically consume around 29 human-days per hectare when done manually.

By consolidating all these functions into a single, tractor-powered implement, the machine addresses critical bottlenecks in modern horticulture and vegetable farming. Engineered with a multifunctional architecture, the unit performs raised bed formation, drip lateral placement, mulch laying, and seed sowing in one seamless pass. Its seed metering unit operates on vacuum pressure generated by a power take-off (PTO)-driven aspirator blower attached to the tractor. A chain and sprocket transmission drives a hydraulic motor (385 Nm), which powers an eccentric slider crank mechanism. This, in turn, controls a synchronized planting jaw and pneumatic seed metering system, ensuring each seed is planted with pinpoint precision through the mulch layer.

With an effective field capacity of 0.2 hectares per hour and an operational efficiency of 74 per cent, the machine operates at a field speed of 1.7 km/h with a working width of one meter. It supports adjustable row spacing between 0.5 and 0.9 meters and plant spacing from 0.2 to 0.6 meters, offering flexibility across a wide variety of crops. Field trials suggest the planter reduces labor requirements by 26 human-days per hectare—an 89 per cent reduction—and cuts operational costs by Rs 6,600 per hectare, or 43 per cent, compared to conventional methods.

The machine’s economic viability is equally compelling. Priced at Rs 3,00,000, it carries an operating cost of Rs 1,500 per hour, with a break-even point of 70 hours per year. The estimated payback period is just under two years, based on 444 hours of annual usage. Designed for high-value crops typically grown under plastic mulch, the machine is ideal for planting melons, cucumbers, sweet corn, baby corn, green peas, okra, and beans—crops where spacing accuracy and soil moisture retention are critical for maximizing yields and quality.

With the government’s increasing emphasis on protected cultivation, micro-irrigation, and doubling farmer incomes, this latest innovation from ICAR-CIAE aligns with national priorities to enhance farm productivity, reduce input costs, and make Indian agriculture more resilient and resource-efficient. As the country faces rising rural labor shortages and the need for climate-smart farming techniques, this mulch layer-cum-planter offers a timely and transformative solution for India’s emerging agri-tech landscape.