Seeding uniformity for vacuum precision seeders

Scientia Agricola, Feb 2019

The performance of three vacuum precision seeders was investigated in a field study. Seeding uniformity was determined in three different within-row distances: 14, 18 and 21 cm. The seeders were operated at 1.8, 3.6, 5.4 and 7.2 km h-1. Successive seed spacing along of 3 m of row was measured in three replications on each row. For evaluating the seeding uniformity of seeders, seed spacings were analyzed using the methods (MISS, MULT, QFI and PREC). There were no differences between seeders. For P < 0.01, operating speed affected MISS and QFI values, and the within-row seed spacing affected MULT and PREC values. The best operating speed was 1.8 km h-1 because of the highest QFI value (88.5%). There was no difference between 1.8 and 3.6 km h-1. The speeds, 1.8 and 3.6 km h-1, were different from 5.4 and 7.2 km h-1. The best within-row distance was 18 cm because the QFI value was higher than those of 14 and 20 cm, 86.9%, 82.0% and 81.8%, respectively. The best PREC value was obtained for 21 cm within-row distance (17.4%). PREC values were acceptable for precision seeding in all trials.

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Seeding uniformity for vacuum precision seeders

NOTE   Seeding uniformity for vacuum precision seeders   Uniformidade de semeaduras para semeadeiras de precisão a vácuo     Ali Musa Bozdoğan Univ. of Çukurova/Fac of Agriculture, Dept. of Agricultural Machinery - 01330 - Adana, Turkey     ABSTRACT The performance of three vacuum precision seeders was investigated in a field study. Seeding uniformity was determined in three different within-row distances: 14, 18 and 21 cm. The seeders were operated at 1.8, 3.6, 5.4 and 7.2 km h-1. Successive seed spacing along of 3 m of row was measured in three replications on each row. For evaluating the seeding uniformity of seeders, seed spacings were analyzed using the methods (MISS, MULT, QFI and PREC). There were no differences between seeders. For P < 0.01, operating speed affected MISS and QFI values, and the within-row seed spacing affected MULT and PREC values. The best operating speed was 1.8 km h-1 because of the highest QFI value (88.5%). There was no difference between 1.8 and 3.6 km h-1. The speeds, 1.8 and 3.6 km h-1, were different from 5.4 and 7.2 km h-1. The best within-row distance was 18 cm because the QFI value was higher than those of 14 and 20 cm, 86.9%, 82.0% and 81.8%, respectively. The best PREC value was obtained for 21 cm within-row distance (17.4%). PREC values were acceptable for precision seeding in all trials. Key words: miss index, multiple index, quality feed index, within-row RESUMO O comportamento de três semeadeiras de precisão a vácuo foi investigado em um estudo de campo. A uniformidade de semeadura foi determinada para três distâncias de entrelinha: 14, 18 e 21 cm. As semeadeiras operaram nas velocidades de 1,8; 3,6; 5,4 e 7,2 km h-1. O espaçamento entre sementes sucessivas foi feito ao longo de 3 m de linha, com três repetições em cada linha. Para avaliar a uniformidade, os espaçamentos entre sementes foram analisados usando os métodos (MISS, MULT, QFI e PREC) e nos resultados não foi achada diferença entre semeadeiras. Para P < 0,001 a velocidade de operação afetou MISS e QFI e o espaçamento entre linhas afetou MULT e PREC. A melhor velocidade de operação foi de 1,8 km h-1 devido ao seu mais alto valor de QFI (88,5%). Não houve diferença entre as velocidades de 1,8 e 3,6 km h-1, mas elas foram diferentes das velocidades 5,4 e 7,2 km h-1. A melhor distância entre linhas foi de 18 cm, pois seu QFI foi maior em relação à 14 e 20 cm, 86,9%, 82,0% e 81,8%, respectivamente. O melhor PREC foi obtido para 21 cm de entrelinha (17,4) e os valores de PREC foram aceitáveis para todos experimentos. Palavras-chave: índice de falha, índice múltiplo, índice de qualidade de alimentação, entrelinha     INTRODUCTION Three different planting methods can be distinguished by the horizontal pattern of seed placement, i.e. broadcasting, drilling, and row crop seeding. In precision row crop seeding the mechanical or pneumatic seeders precisely separate the seeds. Seeds that are drilled by precision planting are theoretically sown with optimum row and within-row spacings which depends on the seeding requirements for each specific crop. Plant spacing can affect growth and yield, and plant spacing uniformity begins with seed spacing uniformity (Bracy & Parish, 1998). Nielsen (1991) states that the germination percentage of corn (Zea mays L.) seed typically ranges from 90% to 95% and plant spacing variability can be caused by misadjusted or malfunctioning of seeder mechanisms. Liu et al. (2004) indicated that non-uniform plant spacing within the row has little or no effect on plant growth and grain yield of corn if the plant population is adequate for high yield. They found that the yield of an individual plant is influenced not only by the directly adjacent plant but also by a second adjacent plant. Wilkins et al. (1991) developed an equation to provide a spacing uniformity index (SUI). They reported that SUI provided an excellent means for evaluating plant spacing and it was used to evaluate the performance of planting equipment. Gil & Carnasa (1996) found out that pneumatic seeders provided better results than mechanical seeders in terms of within-row uniformity. Parish et al. (1991) compared vacuum and belt seeders for vegetable planting and found that a vacuum seeder used 90% less seed as compared with the standard bulk metering planter. Bracy & Parish (1998) evaluated the seeding accuracy of three precision seeders for five vegetable crops using the measures of accuracy as described by Kachman & Smith (1995). They reported that the seeding uniformity of all seeders with elongated (carrot and cucumber) or angular (spinach) seeds was inadequate for precision seeding. The objectives of this study were to determine the seeding uniformity for three vacuum precision seeders, to compare efficiency of the operating speed on the performance of the seeders, and to investigate the best drilling condition according to the operating speed and withi (...truncated)


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Ali Musa Bozdoğan. Seeding uniformity for vacuum precision seeders, Scientia Agricola, pp. 318-322, Volume 65, Issue 3, DOI: 10.1590/S0103-90162008000300013