Substantiation of the choice of working surface profile of distributor of tine coulter of stubble seeder

Abstract

Improving the technology of cereal crop sowing into stubble using a tine coulter is a topical issue. For broadcasting sowing, a cone seed dispenser is fixed under the tine. In stubble seeders with gravity seeding and sowing units with pneumatic seed transportation, distributors with a straight plane of the working surface or a circular arc are mainly used. Numerous studies of these devices have shown that both types of dispensers meet the agrotechnical requirements for the uniformity of seed distribution in the space below coulters. However, it is not possible to implement the technology of sowing with the application of granular fertilizers with the simultaneous application of liquid compound fertilizers below the seed level. A new distributor design is proposed; its working surface is made along the curve of the steepest descent with a reflector. This device allows placing seeds in the space below coulters in two strips, and in the gap between these strips, applying liquid compound fertilizers below the seed level. This technology of applying liquid compound fertilizers allows avoiding chemical burns of seeds at sowing. Experimental studies to substantiate the choice of the distributor working surface on a special laboratory installation using camera recording were conducted. The main movement patterns of seeds of various cereal crops differing in physical and mechanical properties, shape and surface condition were determined. The patterns of the seed distribution were determined by the developed device when moving along the distributor of single particles and in a continuous flow at different seeding rates. The dependence of the range of the particles on the height of their fall was determined. The analysis of the findings shows that the new distributor may be used on stubble seeders with gravity seeding.