Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of a type of narrow point seeder (used for conservation agriculture farming system) under two tillage approaches: zero tillage and minimum tillage. The test was conducted under two different soil structures, namely heavy clay and light sandy soils. The study aimed to measure how these factors affected draft force, grain yield, and several yield components, including Thousand Grain Weight (TGW), the number of spikes per square meter, and the number of grains per spike. The results indicated that the minimum tillage system resulted in significantly lower draft force values. In contrast, the zero-tillage system achieved higher values in grain yield, TGW, and the number of grains per spike. Similarly, light sandy soil recorded the lowest draft force values, while heavy clay soil gave higher values in grain yield, TGW, and number of grains per spike. From the above findings, it is clear that using a narrow point in light soils lowers the power needed for operation, but the crop performance in such soils is not as high as in heavier soils, where overall productivity tends to be better. These outcomes suggest a trade-off between energy efficiency and crop yield when choosing soil type and tillage method. Consequently, farmers and agricultural engineers must balance between reducing fuel and energy consumption and achieving optimal grain production. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the long-term impact of these tillage systems on soil health, machine wear, and crop sustainability. Additionally, future research should explore how to improve the narrow tine seeder’s design for better adaptation across diverse agroecological conditions.