THE PUNCH PLANTER, SPECIFICATION AND EVALUATION

Ismail, Z. E.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2011.102562

THE PUNCH PLANTER, SPECIFICATION AND EVALUATION

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Z. E. Ismail

Prof. of power technology and farm machinery, Agric. Eng. Dept., Mansoura University, Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2011.102562

Abstract

A prototype punch planter for no-tillage corn was developed to provide different seed spacing. Plant distribution per feddan was adjusted by changing planter punch connecting rod. Seed spacing of 136, 163, and 194 mm were obtained by changing the reciprocating crank radius with different punch tube lengths, represented 550, 450, and 350 mm respectively.The machine is constructed, manufactured and tested in experimental lab. at agricultural engineering Mansoura University. The effect of an oscillating tube mechanism on the seed's distribution by calculating seed's spacing, miss index, multiples index, and quality of feed index, precisions in spacing and the amount of seed rate was recognized. The data were statistically analyzed to determine the effect of the oscillating tube radii and the traveling speed of punch planter under three different of the connecting rod length "punch reciprocated radius" (35, 55 and 100 mm) on performance. The smallest punching tube length (350 mm) had the best results at 0.39 m/s, with a quality of feed index of 95.1% and precision of 3.92%. The multiples index and miss index, not always significant, as complementary of quality of feed index, were the lowest at 0.39 m/s.

Main Subjects

Agricultural Power and Machinery Engineering

References

Ismail, Z. E and E.H. El-hanify (2009). Construction and testing the seed-punch planter. Farm Machinery and Power. Misr J. Ag. Eng., 26(1): 597-607.

Ismail, Z.E. (2009) Punch planter precision. Poster in Special Issue for The 16^th. Annual Conf. of the Misr Society of Agric Eng. "Agricultural Engineering and variables of the present epoch" Ag. Eng. Dept., Fac. Of Ag. CairoUniv. 25 July 2009

Molin, J. P., L. L. Bashford, K. Von Bargen, and L. I. Leviticus. (2002) Design and evaluation of a punch planter for no-till systems. Transactions of the ASAE 41(2): 307-314.

PAMI (Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute). 1984a. Evaluation Report 357. Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada.

PAMI (Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute). 1984b. Evaluation Report 358. Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Schueller, J. K. 1992. A review and integrating analysis of spatially-variable control of crop production. Fertilizer Res. 33: 1-34.

West D. R., C. R. Graces, D. R. Kincer, and J. F. Bradley. 1998. Response corn hybrids to varying plant population densities. Tennessee Farm & Home Sci. 150: 10-14.