PLANTING MACHINERY

Arsenio N. Resurreccion
CEAT, UPLB

• A mechanical device used to place seeds or plants in the soil for

crop production.

• Classification of planting machinery:

1. Row-crop planters – planters designed to plant seeds or

plants in rows far enough apart to permit the subsequent
entry of machinery.

a. Row-crop drill planter – designed to plant seeds

continuously in rows with row spacing greater than 36
cm (Fig. 1).
b. Hill-drop planter – designed to plant one or more
seeds or plants in rows and in hills (Fig. 2).

1. Checkrow planter – designed to plant one or

more seeds or plants with row spacing equal to
hill spacing.
2. Precision planter – designed to plant one seed
or plant in rows and in hills.
dr
seed
seed

dh

Figure 1. Drill planter pattern Figure 2. Hill planter pattern

3. Solid planters – planters designed to plant seeds or plants in

patterns which do not allow subsequent entry of machinery.
 a. Solid drill planter – designed to plant seeds
continuously in rows with row spacing less than 36
cm.
b. Broadcaster – designed to scatter the seeds
uniformly over the surface of the field without definite
rows and hills. Seeds are covered by harrowing.

• Mechanical functions of a planter: PART (Fig. 3)

1. Make a furrow - Furrow opener (Fig. 4)

2. Meter the seeds - Metering device (Figs. 5-9)

3. Deposit the seeds - Seed tube (Fig. 10)

4. Cover the seeds - Furrow closer (Figs. 11-12)

Figure 3. Typical Planter

 Figure 4. Furrow openers

Figure 5. Adjustable orifice with agitator

Figure 6 Rotating orifice
 Figure 7. Vertical roller

Figure 8. Fluted roller

Figure 9. Horizontal seed plate

 Figure 10. Seed tubes

Figure 11. Furrow closers

Figure 12. Press wheels

• Calibration of planters – a procedure of determining the

performance of a planter under the different seeding rates
and row and hill spacings it is designed to operate.
  Planters are calibrated when newly acquired and at regular
intervals.

• Sample Problems:

1. The fertility of a field is such that maximum corn yields are

obtained with a population of 54,000 plants per hectare. The
rows are 0.75 m apart and an average emergence of 85
percent is expected. How many seeds per hill should be
planted if the hills are 0.5 m apart?

Given:
Plant population = 54,000 plants/ha
Row spacing = 0.75 m
Ave. emergence = 85 %
Hill spacing = 0.5 m

Required:
No. of seeds per hill

Solution:

A = area per hill = RS X HS = 0.75 m X 0.5 m = 0.375 m2/hill

10,000 m 2 /ha
N H = No. of hills/ha = = 26,667 hills/ha
0.375 m 2 /hill

54,000 plants/ha
N S = No. of seeds/ha = = 63,529 seeds/ha
0.85

63,529 seeds/ha
N S/H = No. of seeds/hill = = 2.38 seeds/hill
26,667 hills/ha

= 2 to 3 seeds/hill
 2. Using the results of the calibration test of the 9 X 7 grain
drill, determine the seeding rate adjustment to use if it is
desired to plant at the rate of 100 kg per hectare.

Given:
Ground wheel (GW) diameter = 1.22 m
Width = 9 rows X 7 inches per row
No. of GW revolutions = 10
Adjustment Discharge/10 rev of GW (gm)
Close 0
¼ 140
½ 460
¾ 740
Full 1100

Required:
a. Calibration curve
b. Adjustment at 100 kg/ha

Solution:

W = Width = 9 rows X 7 inches/row X 0.0254 m/inch = 1.6 m

S10 = Distance = Π X D X 10 = 3.14 X 1.22 m X 10 = 38.31 m

A 10 = Area = W X S10 = 1.6 m X 38.31 m = 61.32 m2

Discharge at (using ratio and proportion):

10,000 m 2 /ha
¼ setting: X 1/4 = 0.14 kg X = 23 kg/ha
61.32 m 2

10,000 m 2 /ha
½ setting: X 1/2 = 0.46 kg X = 75 kg/ha
61.32 m 2

10,000 m 2 /ha
¾ setting: X 3/4 = 0.74 kg X = 120 kg/ha
61.32 m 2
 10,000 m 2 /ha
Full setting: X F = 1.1 kg X = 179 kg/ha
61.32 m 2

Discharge (kg/ha) 200

150

100

50

0
0 8 16 24 32
Adjustm ent

Grain Drill Calibration Curve

3. Using the specifications of the transmission system of the

metering device of the two-row corn planter, determine the
hill spacings. If the row spacing is 0.75 m, average seeds per
hill is two and emergence is 90 percent, what are the
expected plant populations per hectare?

Given:
Row spacing = 0.75 m
Seeds per hill = 2
Emergence = 90 percent
No. of rows = 2
No. of cells of seed plate (SP) = 20
Ground wheel (GW) diameter = 0.60 m
No. of teeth Speed ratio (GW/SP)
T=6 6/1
T=8 5/1
T = 10 4/1
T = 12 3/1

Required:
 a. Hill spacings
b. Expected plant populations

Solution:

C = Circumference of GW = Π X D = 3.14 X 0.6 m = 1.88 m

Hill spacing (HS) and expected plant population (EPP) for:

C X SR 1.88 m X 6
T1: HS1 = = = 0.56 m
SP 20

A1 = Area/hill = RS X HS = 0.75 m X 0.56 m = 0.42 m2/hill

10,000 m 2 / ha X Seeds/hill X Emergence

EPP1 =
Area/hill

10,000 m 2 /ha X 2 seeds/hill X 0.90

= = 42,857 plts/ha
2
0.42 m /hill

1.88 m X 5
T2: HS2 = = 0.47 m
20

A2 = 0.75 m X 0.47 m = 0.35 m2/hill

10,000 m 2 /ha X 2 seeds/hill X 0.90

EPP2 = = 51,428 plts/ha
0.35 m 2 /hill

1.88 m X 4
T3: HS3 = = 0.38 m
20

A3 = 0.75 m X 0.38 m = 0.28 m2/hill

10,000 m 2 /ha X 2 seeds/hill X 0.90

EPP3 = = 64,286 plts/ha
2
0.28 m /hill

1.88 m X 3
T4: HS4 = = 0.28 m
20

A4 = 0.75 m X 0.28 m = 0.21 m2/hill

 10,000 m 2 /ha X 2 seeds/hill X 0.90
EPP4 = = 85,714 plts/ha
0.21 m 2 /hill

Row Crop Planter Calibration

90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
Plants/ha

50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
6 8 10 12
No. of teeth

• Reading Assignment:

1. PAES 122:2001 Agricultural Machinery – Seeder and

Planter – Specifications
2. PAES 123:2001 Agricultural Machinery – Seeder and
Planter – Methods of Test
3. PAES 143:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Rice Drum
Seeder – Specifications
4. PAES 144:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Rice Drum
Seeder – Methods of Test
5. PAES 145:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Granular
Fertilizer Applicator – Specifications
6. PAES 146:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Granular
Fertilizer Applicator – Methods of Test
7. PAES 147:2006 Agricultural Machinery – Manual Rice
Transplanter – Specifications (DRAFT)
8. PAES 148:2006 Agricultural Machinery – Manual Rice
Transplanter – Methods of Test (DRAFT)
 Planting Equipment Questions

1. The mechanical function of the planter does not include:

a. sort the seeds b. meter the seeds

c. deposit the seeds d. cover the seeds
2. The horizontal seed plate is used for:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. solid drill planter d. broadcaster
3. The calibration of the 9X7 (9 rows X 7 inches row spacing) grain
drill is shown below. Row spacing to be adjusted to 14 inches.
Groundwheel diameter is 1.22 m.

Discharge (gm)
Seeding
(9 rows for 10 revolutions of
Adjustment
groundwheel)
¼ Open 140
½ Open 460
¾ Open 740
Full Open 1,100

What is the seeding rate at ¼ open seeding adjustment?

a. 5 kg/ha b. 11 kg/ha
c. 8 kg/ha d. 20 kg/ha
4. Planters designed to plant seeds continuously in rows with row
spacing greater than 36 cm is called:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. solid drill planter d. broadcaster
5. The groundwheel of a planter is normally related to the operation
of the:

a. furrow opener b. metering device

c. seed tube d. double-disc closer
6. Part of a planter that is always present in all planters regardless of
type and cropping system:

a. furrow opener b. metering device

c. seed tube d. furrow closer
7. The calibration of the 9X7 (9 rows X 7 inches row spacing) grain
drill is shown below. Row spacing is to be adjusted to 14 inches.
Groundwheel diameter is 1.22 m.

Discharge (gm)
Seeding
(9 rows for 10 revolutions of
Adjustment
groundwheel)
¼ Open 140
½ Open 460
¾ Open 740
Full Open 1,100

What is the seeding rate at ½ adjustment?

a. 25 kg/ha b. 68 kg/ha
c. 38 kg/ha c. 79 kg/ha
8. Planter designed to plant seeds in rows and in hills is called:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. solid drill planter d. broadcaster
9. The adjustable orifice with agitator is used for:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. broadcaster d. transplanter
10. Parameter not required in the calibration of a planter is:

a. row spacing b. ave. seed emergence

c. forward speed d. groundwheel diameter
11. The fertility of a particular field is such that maximum corn yield is
obtained with a population of 54,000 plants per hectare. A
checkrow corn planter is used which discharges 2 seeds/hill.
Average emergence is 85%. Row spacing = hill spacing. Find the
spacing:

a. 0.56 m b. 0.75 m
c. 0.65 m d. 1.0 m
12. The calibration of the 9X7 (9 rows X 7 inches row spacing) grain
drill is shown below. Row spacing is to be adjusted to 14 inches.
Groundwheel diameter is 1.22 m.

Discharge (gm)
Seeding
(9 rows for 10 revolutions of
Adjustment
groundwheel)
¼ Open 140
½ Open 460
¾ Open 740
Full Open 1,100

What is the seeding rate at ¾ adjustment?

a. 60 kg/ha b. 70 kg/ha
c. 80 kg/ha d. 90 kg/ha
13. Planter designed to place seedlings in rows and in hills is called:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. solid drill planter d. transplanter
14. The IRRI drum seeder is an example of:

a. row-crop drill planter b. hill-drop planter

c. solid drill planter d. broadcaster
15. Parameter not required in determining the field capacity of a
planter:

a. width of planter b. forward speed of

planter
c. No. of seeds per hill d. efficiency of planter
16. The calibration of the 9X7 (9 rows X 7 inches row spacing) grain
drill is shown below. Row spacing is to be adjusted to 14 inches.
Groundwheel diameter is 1.22 m.

Discharge (gm)
Seeding
(9 rows for 10 revolutions of
Adjustment
groundwheel)
¼ Open 140
½ Open 460
¾ Open 740
Full Open 1,100

What is the seeding rate at full open adjustment?

a. 60 kg/ha b. 70 kg/ha
c. 80 kg/ha d. 90 kg/ha
17. Using the specifications of the transmission system of the metering
devise (horizontal seed plate) of the two-row corn planter,
determine the expected hill spacing. Row spacing = 75 cm,
groundwheel diameter = 60 cm, no. of cells of seedplate = 20, T1 =
6t, T2 = 18t, T3 = 10t and T4 = 25t

a. 0.62 m b. 0.81 m
c. 0.71m d. 0.92 m