Authors: Chandra Kant Tripathi, Swati Deepak dubey, Krishna Deepak Tripathi
A seed drill is a device thatsows theseeds for crops by metering out the individual seeds, positioning them in the soil, and covering them to a certain average depth. The seed drill sows the seeds at equal distances and proper depth, ensuring that the seeds get covered with soil and are saved from being eaten by birds. Before the introduction of the seed drill, a common practice was to plant seeds by hand. Besides being wasteful, planting was usually imprecise and led to a poor distribution of seeds, leading to low productivity. The use of a seed drill can improve the ratio of crop yield (seeds harvested per seed planted) by as much as nine times. Some machines for metering out seeds for planting are called planters . The concepts evolved from ancient Chinese practice, and later evolved into mechanisms that pick up seeds from a bin and deposit them down a tube.
Functions of Seed-drills and Planters
The functions of a well-designed seed drill or planter are as follows:
- Meter seeds of different sizes and shapes
- Place the seed in the acceptable pattern of distribution in the field
- Place the seed accurately and uniformly at the desired depth in the soil
- Cover the seed and compact the soil around it to enhance germination and emergence
- Drilling is the term used for the mechanised sowing of an agricultural crop. Traditionally, a seed drill used to consist of a hopper filled with seeds arranged above a series of tubes that can be set at selected distances from each other to allow optimum growth of the resulting plants. Seeds are spaced out using fluted paddles which rotate using a geared drive from one of the drill's land wheels—seed rate is altered by changing gear ratios. Most modern drills use air to convey seed in plastic tubes from the seed hopper to the coulters—it is an arrangement which allows seed drills to be much wider than the seed hopper—as much as 12 m wide in some cases. The seed is metered mechanically into an air stream created by a hydraulically powered on-board fan and conveyed initially to a distribution head which sub-divides the seed into the pipes taking the seed to the individual coulters.
- The seed drill allows farmers to sow seeds in well-spaced rows at specific depths at a specific seed rate; each tube creates a hole of a specific depth, drops in one or more seeds, and covers it over. This invention gives farmers much greater control over the depth that the seed is planted and the ability to cover the seeds without back-tracking. The result is an increased rate of germination, and a much-improved crop yield .
- The use of a seed drill also facilitates weed control. Broadcast seeding results in a random array of growing crops, making it difficult to control weeds using any method other than hand weeding. A field planted using a seed drill is much more uniform, typically in rows, allowing weeding with the hoe during the growing season. Weeding by hand is laborious and inefficient. Poor weeding reduces crop yield, so this benefit is extremely significant.
- The ground would have to be plowed and harrowed. The plow would dig up the earth and the harrow would smooth the soil and break up any clumps. The drill would be set for the size of seed used. Then the grain would be put in the hopper on top and then follow along behind it while the seed drill spaced and planted the seed. This system is still used today but it has been modified and updated so a farmer can plant many rows of seed at the same time.
- A seed drill can be pulled across the field using bullocks or a tractor. Seeds sown using a seed drill are distributed evenly and placed at the correct depth in the soil.
Cost effective
With the efficiency and higher work rate of direct drilling and strip tillage that brings the benefit of lower cost, in terms of both labour and machinery. The high level of accuracy brought by direct drilling and strip tillage means less soil damage and less wasted resources, resulting in lower costs. By using the quicker and more efficient systems of direct drilling and strip tillage also means they don’t suffer the same wear and tear of the more traditional plough-based and min-till crop establishment systems. So, not only do you save on maintenance costs, both long-term and short-term, but also on the costs it takes to run the machinery
Environment friendly
The efficiency of our seed drills not only benefits those that use them, but also the environment due to their lower energy inputs and the fact that fewer resources are used (or wasted) in the process. The system is also designed to preserve the soil as best possible. Our leading tines have positive effects on the root and crop growth for the farmers, and also promotes the ideal circumstances for the beneficial habitation of invertebrates and earthworms. In short, it’s great for the soil and it’s great for roots and overall, much better for the environment than more traditional systems.
Best result
With the system’s optimal soil disturbance as well as its accurate and consistent distribution of seeds, farmers benefit from enhanced root growth and development, with no problems of overcrowding or nutrients-shortage. The system also reduces the risk of issues like capping, leaching and compacting which are common with more traditional designs. Combining its efficiency, its accuracy and its money-saving ability, direct drilling / strip tilling promotes stronger and happier crop and farmers.
About Author / Additional Info:
I am Currently working as Subject matter specialist in KVK, Sultanpur