Comparative use of farm machinery services for Paddy-wheat crop rotation in Punjab

This study was conducted to find out the status of farm machinery services under owning, private and cooperative societies in Punjab. The economics and availability of farm machinery services were studied by using visual basic programming for the above system(s) in different farm operations and crop rotations for small, medium and large size farmers. A sustainable farm mechanization strategy for the societies of Punjab was designed on the basis of implements potential use in each crop rotation. About, 50 per cent and 54 per cent fanners who own disc harrows and cultivators respectively were working for less than 100 hrs annually. In paddy-wheat rotation, tillage and sowing implements were used 55 per cent by the large size farmers who owned these implements. Combine use was more than 80 per cent by all the categories of farmers for paddy and wheat crops from private societies. Annual average cost of machinery use in tillage and sowing operation for paddy by small, medium and large size land holders was between Rs. 2462–3037, 2437–2820 and Rs. 2412–2650 per hectare and in case of wheat it ranged from Rs 2475–2827, 2465–2740 and 2465–2687 per hectare, respectively.