In this study, a
spatially stratified proportional fertilizer application
device was designed, which was mainly composed of a fertilizer equalization
and stirring structure, fertilizer guide plate, and fertilizer plate.
This was aimed at solving challenges presented by current fertilizer
devices that include a poor layering effect due to untimely return
of soil, excess nutrients in the early stages of plant growth, and
insufficient quantities in the later stages. The “seed fertilizer
+ chasing fertilizer” is time-consuming and laborious; seed
and fertilizer (without layering) are applied to the soil at once,
which tends to cause too much nutrients for plants in the early stage
and not enough nutrients in the later stage; and the layered fertilizer
machines currently on the market have a poor layering effect due to
untimely soil return. Through theoretical analysis and calculation,
the structural parameters of the device were determined, and the main
influencing factors of the movement law of fertilizer in the device
were analyzed. Through simulating soil tank tests, the main factors
affecting the effect of fertilizer spatial stratification were designed
by quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination designs. The
optimal parameters including the length of the first fertilizer plate
was 100 mm, the installation angle of the fertilizer plate was 80°,
the spacing of the fertilizer port was 30 mm, and the uniform stirring
speed was 650 r/min. The results of the bench test showed that the
fertilizer granules could be uniformly stirred at the optimized stirring
speed, with average values of 74.56, 76.56, and 105.19 g, which met
the agronomic fertilizer application requirements, and the coefficient
of variation of fertilizer application amount in each layer was less
than 1%. The field test results showed that the stratified proportional
fertilizer application device could achieve the stratified proportional
application of fertilizer in the soil in ranges of 80.2–95.4,
150.3–180.2, and 230.3–250.4 mm for the upper, middle,
and lower layers, respectively, with an error within 10 mm from the
designed theoretical application depth. Compared with the conventional
fertilizer application method, this fertilizer application method
had a more obvious promotion effect on the 100-grain weight and yield
of corn.