Economics of basin-lister cum seeder for ln-situ moisture conservation in drylands of indian cotton fields

Basin-lister cum seeder is an insitu moisture conservation machine used to create a multitude of small basins on the surface of the dryland by which even a relatively small amount of water can be stored in the soil prior to sowing of crops. The present paper analyzes feasibility and economical viability of the equipment in Indian drylands. The cost economics was arrived as per the "BIS standard IS 9164 (1979) on Guide for estimating cost of farm machinery operation" and "RNAM test codes and procedures for farm machinery". The material, labour, and fabrication costs were compared with the cost of operation by the conventional method. The cost of the machine was Rs. 30, 000 and the cost of operation was Rs.2, 602 per ha. The savings in cost, time, and energy compared to conventional method were 54.84, 99.11 and 17.73 percent, respectively. The break even point and the pay back period of the basin-lister cum seeder attachment were 93.68 ha/annum and 2.75 years, respectively.