Search

Weeds, often considered a "menace" are top-notch, adroit survivors having intrinsic value as source of biodiversity and various promising uses as bio-resource. Among other benefits, their use as feed/food source or raw material is still to be explored. Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) a conspecific of rice has rapid growth, ability to uptake more fertilizer and produce large biomass. Lot of efforts are done for its management but little is known about its nutritive value and utilization as feed source for livestock. Therefore, the present study was carried out at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in 2017 and 2018 to optimize N level and harvesting time for improving growth and silage quality of weedy rice sown as sole crop. Treatments comprised of four N levels viz: 0, 100, 120 and 140 kg ha-1 and harvesting intervals viz. 15, 25 and 35 days after heading (DAH). Weedy rice harvested at different intervals after onset of heading stage was used for making silage and analysed for nutritive value. Results depicted that, maximum plant height, fertile tillers, panicle length, kernels per panicle and LA were obtained with 120 kg ha-1 N and harvesting at 25 DAH during both years, while NDF, ADF, cellulose, and hemicellulose were highest with no fertilizer. Crude protein was highest with N application at 120 kg ha-1 and harvesting at 25 DAH. Highest nitrogen contents in plants, plant biomass, WSC, ash and DM in silage were recorded with 140 kg ha-1 N when harvested at 35 DAH. Weedy rice harvested at 25 DAH with N application at 120 kg ha-1 seems to be better combination for rational use of nutrients, better productivity and improving most of the nutritive traits of whole crop weedy rice silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture production can be enhanced by considering all the farm operations especially the harvesting of crops is the more sensitive operation. The selection of appropriate farm machinery for harvesting not only save the harvesting time but also enhance the farm profitability. The agro-climatic and economic factors are the major hindrance on the way to adopt the harvesting machinery and latest movers in Pakistan. The objective of this work was to redesign an engine operated reaper at affordable price and performance evaluation of this reaper for harvesting three different crops (wheat, rice and brassica). Three levels of reaper ground speed (S) (1.94, 2.54 and 3.18 kmh-1) and three different levels of moisture contents (MC) for each crop were considered as factors. A (3 x 3) factorial analysis was conducted to see the impact of "MC" and "S" on percent slippage, field efficiency and shatter losses. The main effects of S and MC were significant for all the crops for each factor (p<0.05), except MC which was non-significant for shatter losses in wheat and rice (p= 0.0667) and (p=0.847), respectively. Statistical Analysis showed that selected levels of MC and S had significant effect on % slippage, field efficiency and shatter losses. The cost analysis indicated that the breakeven point of the modified reaper can be achieved after 19 days of purchase. Study demonstrated that grain losses can be minimized, and farm profitability can be maximized by selecting suitable combination of M and S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]