Puddling equipment: Traditional method and beyond
2008
Khan, A.S. (Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad (Pakistan). Plant Sciences Div.) | Salim, M. (Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad (Pakistan). Plant Sciences Div.) | Shehzad, F.D. (Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad (Pakistan). Plant Sciences Div.)
Puddling refers to the tillage system, in which the soil is repeatedly plowed and harrowed under submerged conditions, to make it soft for transplanting and less permeable to water. In puddling, various tillage implements are used to make the soil impermeable by manipulating it in standing water, which reduces its apparent specific volume, thus facilitating transplanting. Basic cultivation requirements in puddling are mixing and incorporation of organic matter, compaction of pan by smearing and hydraulic sealing, without increasing pan-depth. Tillage implements commonly used for puddling include backward inclined narrow tines, discs, powered rotary cultivators, puddlers, conical rotor, etc. In Pakistan, the tractor-operated cultivator is mainly used to puddle the fields in standing-water condition. These are finally leveled with wooden plank attached behind the cultivator. Studies carried out on these are summarized in this paper. There is little research done on appropriate tillage-implements for achieving quality puddling for soils of the rice areas in Pakistan. There is need to do a systematic study to identify appropriate puddling equipment for rice-area soils of Pakistan and then adapt them for in the country. The main points for this are outlined in the conclusion.
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