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Paddy Bund Former

A paddy bund former is a tractor- or power-tiller-mounted implement that shapes the small earthen levees (bunds) that retain irrigation water within paddy plots and delineate field boundaries. Bund forming is one of the final operations in paddy land preparation before transplanting or direct seeding.

Function

A pair of mouldboards or angled discs draws soil from both sides of the bund line and compacts it into a continuous ridge. A forming-board or roller at the back smooths the bund's upper surface. The result is a uniform, compact bund roughly 30-45 cm high that holds standing water without leaking.

Design and specifications

TNAU describes a tractor-drawn bund former that uses disc, mouldboard or forming-board configurations. The AICRP-FIM literature documents a tractor-operated bund-former-cum-packer that combines the soil-shaping discs with a packing roller in one pass. The implement attaches to the tractor's three-point linkage and is operated with the tractor straddling the intended bund line.

Operation

Bunds are formed after primary land preparation but before final puddling. Where in-season repair is required, the implement is also used to re-form bunds eroded by monsoon flow or rodent activity. Compatible upstream operations include Rotavator, Roto Puddler and Cage Wheels Tractor puddling; downstream operations include Paddy Transplanter use and Drum Seeder Paddy sowing.

Subsidy and adoption

The bund former is on the SMAM and state agri-mechanisation subsidy lists. It is typically owned by Custom Hiring Centres (Agri Machinery Dealer Ecosystem) rather than by individual smallholders, since the seasonal usage window is short.

See also: Roto Puddler, Rotavator, Cage Wheels Tractor, Ridger Plough, Paddy Transplanter, Drum Seeder Paddy.

References

  1. Tractor-Drawn Bund Former. TNAU Agritech Portal.
  2. Farm Implements - Paddy. TNAU Expert System.