LECTURE – 5 & 6

PLANTING EQUIPMENTS
 Introduction
The growth of new crop begins with the sowing of seed. Crop
planting operations may usually involve the placement of seeds
or tubers (such as potatoes) in the soil at predetermined depth, in
well prepared soil and thereafter covering the seed with soil in
order to provide optimum germination conditions. The primary
factors that influence the selection of planting machinery are:
• Size of seed.
• Shape of seed.
• Seed type.
• Available Horsepower per hectare.
• Farm Size.
• Soil type.
 Introduction(Cont’d)
• Most of the cereal crops such as wheat, oats, rye, alfalfa, etc.
can be drilled or broadcasted while bigger sized seeds such as
corn, cotton, melons, etc. need to be sown at a specified row to
row and plant to plant distance. Seeding machinery has strong
influence on rate of germination and emergence of seed
through the control of planting depth and degree of soil
compaction around the seeds or roots of seedlings. In general it
should fulfill the following requirements:
• Open the furrow at proper depth.
• Meter the seed at proper rate.
• Place the metered seed at proper depth.
• Compact the soil around the seed.
 Classification of Sowing Machinery
Solid Planting Machines:
These are used for the planting of close growing crops like,
wheat, alfalfa, oats, clover, etc. These machines are of two
different types:
• Broadcasting Machine.
• Grain Drill.
Row Crop Planting Machines:
These are used for the planting of row crops like maize, cotton,
soybeans, sugar beet, etc. It includes the drill planters.
 Broad Caster
• The random scattering of the seed on the surface of soil is
usually referred as the broadcasting.
• The mechanical broadcaster is the machine that spreads the
seed on the surface of soil with the help of spinning wheel
operated through the tractor PTO shaft.
• It has the funnel shape hoper to store the seed and a gate to
meter the quantity of seed to spinning disc. The metered seed
drops onto the spinning disc, which accelerates the seed and
throws it usually horizontally.
• The quantity of seed or seed rate (kg/hector) can be regulated
by the opening and closing of the gate.
 Broad Caster(Cont’d)
• An agitator is usually provided over the gate in order to
prevent the bridging of seeds over the gate, to ensure the
continuous feeding. The width of swath can be changed by
changing the speed of spinning disc.
• The swath width is affected by shape, size and density of the
seeds.
• After the seed is spread on the field, tine cultivator or bar
harrows are used to cover the seed.
• Planking is usually done as a last operation to compact the
soil. The real benefit of mechanical broadcasting over the
traditional (manual) broadcasting is the uniformity and
homogeneity in spreading the given quantity of seed in an area
and saving in time.
 Seed Drill
• Drilling is known as dropping the seed in furrows with the
help of seed tubes. Drilling of the seed can either be done
manually or mechanically.
• Seed drills are the most common machines being used now a
day to sow cereal crops in rows. These are machines that
maintain proper row to row distance with the help of
adjustable furrow openers.
• Seed cum fertilizer drills are also available to place the seed
and fertilizer at the same time. The real benefit of a drilled
crop is the increased yield by about 15% over the traditional
one.
 Components of Seed Drill
Seed Box
• It may be made of mild steel sheet, galvanized iron or carbon
fiber. Its basic function is to store the seeds until they are
dropped off on the soil. It is usually trapezoidal in shape to
facilitate the free flow of seed. Its capacity is dependent upon
the size of machine and field. In seed cum fertilizer drill two
boxes are provided to hold the seed in front and fertilizer at
back.
Seed Tube
• These are mostly the flexible plastic tubes that guide the seeds
from metering mechanism to soil. Rigid type seed tubes can
also be used but there is chance of breakage on mishandling of
machine.
Seed Metering Mechanism:
The mechanism of a seed drill delivers the seed or fertilizer from the
seed box at selected rates is called seed metering mechanism. Fluted
roller is most common type of seed metering mechanism. These
rollers are rotated with the help of square shaft, which is powered
from the transportation wheels of the drill. The amount of seed
dropped is controlled by exposing more or less fluted roller in the
opening of seed box. A lever is usually used to move the feed shaft in
and out of the seed boxes which in turns control the exposed area of
fluted roller and consequently the feed rate.
Furrow Opener:
The furrow openers are provided in the seed drill to open up furrows
before dropping the seeds, which facilitates the placement of seed and
fertilizers at a desired uniform depth and spacing. Furrow openers
play very vital role in placing the seed and fertilizer at the moist zone
of the soil. The seed tube conducts the seed from the feed mechanism
into the boot from where they fall into the furrow.
 Components of Seed Drill
(Cont’d)
Seed Covering Devices:
It is a device that is used to refill the furrow after the seed has
been placed in it in order to compact the soil for better seed to
soil contact. Covering the seed is usually done by rollers, chins
and press wheels designed in various shapes and sizes.
Transport Wheels: 
There are two wheels fitted on the main axle. Some seed drills
may also have pneumatic wheels. The wheels have suitable
attachments to transmit power to operate the seed dropping
mechanism.
 Operation of Seed Drill
For each row, the seeds are metered from the seed box by ground
driven fluted wheel, with an adjustable gate which controls the
seed rate. The seeds then enter into the tube and falls under the
gravity to a furrow, which has been made by a furrow opener.
Typically the furrow spacing ranges from 150 to 400 mm. A
common method of covering the dropped seed is to pull a small
drag chain behind the each furrow opener.

Size of Seed Drill:

It is given by the number of furrow openers multiplied by the
distance between two furrow openers. For example 3*200 mm
seed drill means that it has 3 furrow openers placed 200 mm apart.
 Types of Furrow Openers
Shovel Type
Shovel type furrow openers are largely utilized in seed drills.
They are best suited for the stony and root infested fields. The
shovels are bolted to flat iron shanks at the points where the boots
are fitted which carry the end of seed tubes. In order to prevent
the shock loads due to obstructions, springs are provided. In
cultivator type seed drills shovel type furrow openers are used.
Shoe Type
It works well in trashy soils where the seed beds are not smoothly
prepared. It is made up of two flat pieces of steel welded together
to from a cutting edge. It is especially suited for black soils.
Bullock drawn three tine seed drills are provided with shoe type
furrow openers
 Types of Furrow Openers
Single Disc Type:
Disc type furrow openers are found suitable to fields where plant
trashes are used as mulches. It consists of a concave disc made of
hardened steel and is set at an angle which while operating, shifts the
soil to one side making a small ridge. The disc is kept clean by two
scrapers, one toe shaped at the convex side and one ‘T’ shaped at the
concave side. The disc penetrates into the soil well, cuts all the trashes
and clods in the field.
Double disc type:
In double disc furrow opener there are two flat discs, set at an angle to
each other. The discs open a clean furrow and leave a small ridge in the
centre. The seeds are dropped between the two discs, providing more
accurate placement. It is suitable for trashy lands. Seed drills operated
at high speeds; usually use this type of furrow openers.
 Size of seed drill

It is given by number of furrow openers*distance

between two furrow openers.

Example:
A 3*200mm seed drill means that it has 3 furrow
openers placed 200mm apart.
 Seed drill calibration

• Calibration of seed drill is done to make sure

that the drill is delivering the seed rate as per
selection of the lever setting.

• A chart is usually stamped on the side of seed

box indicating the rate of seed to be delivered
corresponding to the setting of lever.
 Procedure
1. Jack up the drill and spread a plastic sheet
under the tubes of seed drill.
2. Measure the dia (D) of the drill wheel in
meter (m) and calculate its circumference by
using C= 3.14* D.
3. Calculate the width of drill in meters, W=No.
of furrow openers*distance between two
furrow openers.
4. Put seed in box and rotate the wheel for N
revolutions.
5. Calculate the area (m2) covered by the drill in
N revolutions.
6. A=C*N*W= 3.14* D*N*W
7. Record the seed delivered (M) in revolutions
of the drill and calculate the seed rate as W
(kg/ha)=M*1000/A=M/3.14*D*N*W
 Example
• Suppose a 5*150mm seed drill is to plant 80 kg
of wheat seed per hectare. If the dia of its drive
wheel is 1000mm,calculate.
a) The width of the seed drill,
b) The length of the travel necessary for the drill to
cover 0.1 ha.
c) The number of wheel revolution to cover 0.1 ha.
d) The amount of seed that should be delivered
from each tube to plant 0.1 ha.
 Solution
a) a) Width of the seed
drill=5*150=750mm=0.75m.
b) B) Length necessary to cover
1ha(10,000m2)=10,000/0.75=13333.3m
c) Length necessary to travel 0.1 ha
L=13333.3*0.1=1333.3m
 Solution
d. No. of wheel revolutions to travel 0.1
ha.=L/3.14*D/Rev.
e. =1333.3/3.14*1=425.
f. Seed expected from each tube for 1
ha=80/5=16kg.
g. Therefore the seed expected from each tube
for 0.1ha=1.6kg.