Stages in the development of an animal drawn zero tillage seeder for small grains 1

Summary Multiple row seeders adequate for direct (zero tillage) seeding of small grain cereals using animal traction have not been commercially available in South America. Given the probable benefits to small farmers (3-4 ha of land) in the inter-Andean valleys of Bolivia from the use of zero tillage, an inter-institutional project was initiated to design, construct and test seeders for these conditions. A three-row seeder has been produced that has undergone several cycles of participatory evaluation and modification. The seeder gives higher plant stands, results in considerable savings in time compared to the traditional system of seeding into tilled land, and has a lower draught requirement than the traditional wooden plough. Farmer interest is high, mainly because of the time saving the use of the seeder represents, and the first commercial models have now been produced and sold. Small farmers (owning up to 50 ha of land) in the Bolivian lowlands are also interested in the seeders given their problems in obtaining seeding services on time. This paper describes the evolution of the seeder from the initial model to the present one.