1. Off-Road Equipment Management TSM 262: Spring 2016
LECTURE 8: Planters I
Off-Road Equipment Engineering
Dept of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

2. Homework and Lab

3. Homework and Lab

4. Planters: Class Objectives
Students should be able to:
Analyze different methods of planting and the corresponding functional processes
Understand the principles of operation of broadcast, drill and precision planters

5. Agronomic Requirements
Plant type
Seed Spacing
Germination
Emergence
Soil strength and resistance to seedling emergence
Plant population

6. Methods of Planting Broadcasting Drilling
Random scattering of seeds over the surface of the field
Drilling
Random dropping and covering of seeds in furrow to give definite rows

7. Methods of Planting Precision Transplanting
Accurate placing of single seeds at about equal intervals in rows
Transplanting
Crop grown from seed in special beds and then transplanted into fields
(Will not be covered
further in course)

8. Ground Engaging Tools for Planters
Row Cleaners
Soil warming, seed placement
Double disk furrowers, sweeps, horizontal disks, spokes
Coulters, lbs per coulter
Furrow Openers
Chisel point, hoe openers
Slot and Runner Openers
Residue Problems
Single, Double Disk
Most common
Depth Control
Down pressure springs
Seed metering wheel slippage
Press Wheels
Coulter
Furrow opener
Seed firming wheels
Gauge wheels

9. Furrow Openers

10. Theory of Furrow Mechanisms
In bare soil, moisture content increases with depth - depth & firm contact provide moisture
Soil is warmer near the surface
Seedlings need strength to emerge through the firm soil
Optimum depth & firmness are compromises
Judged by % of emergence

11. Basic Methods of Planting
Broadcast Seeder
Seed is usually thrown on top of the ground
Generally used on smaller seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, or other small granular material
Seeding rate is controlled by a variable orifice at bottom of hopper
Spinning disk at bottom accelerates material horizontally away from machine
Coverage width depends on many variables including size, shape, and density of seeds

12. Basic Methods of Planting
Hopper
Orifice
Spinner, Beater, Spinning Disk
Beater Drive Motor, usually electric or hydraulic

13. Functional Processes Broadcasting Store/Convey Seed (hopper)
Meter seed
Distribute seed
Cover seed with second operation (depends on seed)
Meter Seed
Distribute Seed

14. Two drill designs
Air drill
Box drill

15. Drilling Small Grain Hopper Fluted wheel Furrow opener Drag chain
Soybeans, oats, wheat, barley
Hopper
Fluted wheel
Furrow opener
Drag chain
Press wheel

16. Basic Methods of Planting – Box Drills
Characteristics of a drill
Large Hopper that feeds several rows
Fluted wheels at bottom of hopper that adjust seeding rate
Row spacings from 150mm to 400mm

17. Basic Methods of Planting – Box Drills
Hopper
Rate Adjustment
Fluted Wheel

18. Two basic types of drills
Conventional Tillage
Most commonly used in 80’s
Much simpler, lighter, cheaper
No-till
Built to handle rough terrain encountered during no-till

19. Basic Methods of Planting – Air Drills
Time required to fill seed boxes has big impact on field efficiency
Fill time reduced by storing seeds in central bin and transporting them to row units pneumatically

20. Basic Methods of Planting – Air Drills
Furrow Openers
Chisel point, hoe opener, single disk, double disk
Metering System
Fluted wheel
Seedbed Preparation
Conventional
No-till

21. Basic Methods of Planting – Precision Planters

22. Precision Planters Characteristics of a precision planters
Individual row units
More precise metering system (in most cases, each seed is individually metered)
Row spacings from 380mm to 1000mm
Usually have markers to help keep row spacing consistent

23. Precision Planting Accurate placement of single seeds
Functions of all precision planters
Open furrow at controlled depth
Meter seeds into furrow at a uniform spacing
Cover the seed
Firming the soil against the seed 23

24. Functional Processes Row Crop Planting Open a furrow Meter the seed
Place the seed
Cover the seed
Firm the seedbed
Store/Convey Seed
(hopper)
Meter Seed
Seed Transport/
Placement
Firm
Seedbed
Open
Furrow
Cover Seed

25. Functional processes: Seed Metering
Key factors
Metering rate
Singulating seeds (precision planting)
Seed metering mechanisms
Volume-based
Singulated seeds

26. Volume-Based Seed Metering Mechanisms
Internal Double-Run
Fluted Wheel
(Used on Drills)

27. Plant Population Control for Drill
Electronic population rate control
Box Drill attachment (adjusts flute wheel metering)

28. Metering unit design (fluted wheel)
Estimating the volume flow rate:
Where:
Q = flow rate (L/s)
Vc = cell volume (mm3)
lc = # of cells on flute wheel
n rotational speed (rev/min)
Disk opener
Fluted wheel
Drag chain

29. Singulated Seed Metering Mechanisms
Horizontal Seed Plate (gravity fed)
Finger pickup
(plateless planters suited for corn)

30. Singulated Seed Plateless Meters
Three general types
Finger pickup (suited for corn)
Pressurized
Vacuum

31. Singulated Seed Metering Mechanisms
Finger Pickup

32. Singulated Seed Metering Mechanisms
Air Planter: Seed Drum

33. Singulated Seed Metering Mechanisms
Air Planter: Pressure-Disk

34. Singulated Seed Metering Mechanisms
Air Planter: Vacuum-Disk

35. Single row unit