A partial study of vertical distribution of conventional no-till seeders and spatial variability of seed depth placement of maize in the Alentejo region, Portugal

Abstract

The requirements for a good stand in a no-till field are the same as those for conventional planting as well as added field and machinery management. Among the various factors that contribute towards producing a successful maize crop, seed depth placement is a key determinant. Although most no-till planters on the market work well under good soil and residue conditions, adjustments and even modifications are frequently needed when working with compacted or wet soils or with heavy residues. The main objective of this study, carried out in 2010, 2011 and 2012, was to evaluate the vertical distribution and spatial variability of seed depth placement in a maize crop under no-till conditions, using precision farming technologies and conventional no-till seeders. The results obtained indicate that the seed depth placement was affected by soil moisture content and forward speed. The seed depth placement was negatively correlated with soil resistance and seeding depth had a significant impact on mean emergence time and the percentage of emerged plants. Shallow average depth values and high coefficients of variation suggest a need for improvements in controlling the seeders' sowing depth mechanism or more accurate calibration by operators in the field.

Field scale row unit vibration affecting planting quality

“…There has been significant research regarding planter components and their effects on planting quality. This includes examining row cleaners (Raoufat and Matbooei 2007;Yang et al 2015), seed meters (Mursec et al 2008;Turan et al 2015;Yazgi and Degirmencioglu 2014), depth control (Barreiro et al 2016;Hanna et al 2010), and seed delivery units (Kocher et al 2011;Staggenborg et al 2004). Research results show that planting quality is determined by many factors and the performance of most components were affected by planting speed and planter vibration.…”

Improving the efficiency of a sowing technology based on the improved structural parameters for colters

“…Colters of various designs were investigated in [13,14]. These studies explored working bodies for broad sowing.…”

Mathematical modelling of operational stability of sowing machines’ mechanical systems

“…The results of a study into the quality of operation of seeders with direct seeding were described in [18]. The authors examined the influence of the seeder motion speed, as well as the soil density and moisture content, on a deviation in the corn seeding depth.…”