Study of some factors affecting a mechanical planting of coated quinoa seeds

Abstract

This research aim is to study the factors affecting the mechanical planting of coated quinoa seeds. The tested parameters of mechanical planting of coated quinoa seeds are metering-device and forward speeds on seed damage and discharge, seed germination and emergence, missing hills and double plants percentage, planter ground-wheel slip and quinoa-seed yield. The main results in this study can be summarized in the following points: The maximum quinoa coated-seed discharge of 5.50 kg/feddan (feddan = 4200 m² = 0.420 hectares = 1.037 acres) was obtained with a metering-device speed of 20 rpm. Meanwhile, the minimum quinoa coatedseed discharge of 3.10 kg/feddan was obtained with a metering-device speed of 60 rpm. The maximum quinoa plant-emergence of 75.6 % was obtained with a forward speed of 1.82 km/h. Meanwhile, the minimum quinoa plant-emergence of 63.6 % was obtained with a forward speed of 4.79 km/h. By increasing forward speed from 1.82 to 4.79 km/h the total quinoa seed yield decreased from 850 to 650 kg/feddan.