Impact of Zero Tillage Practices on Economics of Wheat Cultivation in Haryana

The study has compared the economics of wheat production in Haryana in zero tillage with zero seed drill machine and Turbo seeder methods. The study indicates the net income has been found higher in Turbo seeder method, mainly due to lower cost of production compared to that in Zero seed drill method. The study has observed that ZT with turbo seeder technology has potential to provide additional income to farmers and help in conservation of scarce resources. The benefit cost ratio had been worked out and it was found to be 2.02 for zero seed drill and 2.21 for the turbo seeder tillage method of wheat cultivation, which shows that turbo seeder method of wheat cultivation is economically feasible. Despite several advantages, adoption of turbo seeder technology has been limited and one major constraint identified is the difficulty in accessing a Turbo seeder machine during sowing period. The study has suggested that ZT with turbo seeder technology should be disseminated on a wider scale and availability of turbo seeder should be ensured at least through custom-hiring basis on timely.