A Seed Drill is an agricultural implement used for sowing the seeds in a continuous flow in furrows at a uniform rate and at a controlled depth with or without the arrangement of covering them with soil.
Seedling or sowing is the art of placing or sowing seeds in the soil at the proper depth and at an equal distance for providing them with a rich amount of sunlight, air, water, and nutrients to it for better growth of crops.
A perfect seedling gives us a rich amount of seed per unit area, the proper depth at which seed is placed in soil, and the correct spacing or distance between row to row and plant to plant. This farming implement is the best seedling equipment. It helps to perfect seedlings and increase productivity.
A seed drill is an effective agricultural device used for sowing. It is a time-saving and user-friendly agriculture device. Jethro Tull invented the seed drill.
The seed drill generally sows the seeds at the proper seeding rate and depth, seeds are covered by soil. This saves them from being eaten by birds and animals or being dried up due to damage to the sun. With the help of this implement, seeds are distributed in rows; due to this, plants can gain sufficient sunlight, nutrients, and water from the soil.
Before the introduction of such amazing time-saving farming implement, most seeds were planted by hand broadcasting, prices, and wasteful process with a poor distribution of seeds and low productivity. The use of this farming implement improves the ratio of crop yield. The use of this farming implement saves time and labor.
The machines used for metering seeds for planting are called planters. The concept of seed drill has been taken from the ancient practice of the mechanisms that pick up seeds from a bin and deposit them down a tube.
It can be used for sowing with the help of a tractor by attaching it. Sowing seed in well-spaced rows at specific depths seed drill allows farmers at a specific seeding rate. By using this agricultural implement we can also control the weed. This amazing time-saving implement sows or places the seeds at equal distances and proper depth, during which the seeds get covered with soil and saved or protected from being eaten by birds. With the use of this farming implement the ratio of crop yield increases.
Seed-cum-fertilizer drill:
Implement attached with fertilizer dropping attachment. Fertilizer dropping attachments distribute or drop fertilizer uniformly on a field so it is called a seed-cum-fertilizer drill.
This type of agricultural implement has a large size of seedbox which is divided into two parts as their length-wise: one part is for seeds and the other compartment is for fertilizer.
There are two types of Seed Drill:
Bullock-Drawn Seed Drills and Tractor Drawn Seed Drills. A Person drops the seed in the furrows manually called the manually metered seed drill. In a mechanically metered seed drill, a mechanical device used to meter the seed is called the seed metering mechanism.
Functions of Seed Drills and Planters:
- Seed drills can also help to meter the size and shape of seeds.
- It helps to place or sow the seed in-furrow in a pattern accurately and uniformly at the depth in the soil.
- This farming implement helps to cover the seed by spreading soil on it and compacting the soil around it to enhance germination and emergence.
- It helps to carry seeds
- It can also open furrow to a uniform depth
- Help to cover the seed and compact the soil around the seed.
Components of Seed Drill are as follows:
- Frame
- Seedbox
- Seed metering mechanism
- Furrow openers
- Covering devices transport wheels
Frame: The frame is made from angle iron with braces and brackets. The frame is strong and can tolerate all types of heavy loads or weight during working conditions.
Seedbox: The material used for the seedbox is a mild steel sheet or galvanized iron with a suitable cover. To prevent clogging of seeds the small agitator is provided sometimes to it.
Seed Metering Mechanism: The mechanism of a distributor of fertilizer with the help of a seed drill at a selected rate from the hopper is called a seed metering mechanism. It has many types are:
- Fluted feed type
- Internal double run type
- Cup feed type
- Cell feed mechanism
- Brush feed mechanism
- Auger feed mechanism
- Picker wheel mechanism
- Starwheel mechanism
Covering Devices: After the seedling covering device is used to refill a furrow means covering seeds with soil. The process of covering seeds is done by Patta, chains, drags, packers, rollers, or press wheels. These are all made or available in different sizes and shapes.
Transport Wheel: Wheels are generally used to transmit power to operate seed dropping mechanisms. Wheels provided suitable attachment. On the main axle, two wheels are fitted properly, wheels transmit power, they play the main role.
Calibration steps of Seed Drill and Seed-Cum Fertilizer Drill:
The method or procedure of testing the drill for the correct seed rate is called calibration of the seed drill. Calibration is very important before putting the seed drill in actual use for finding the desired seed rate, for the predetermining seed rate of the machine calibration has to be done.
Before using such farming implements in the field they should be calibrated. The steps of calibration of seed drill or seed-cum-fertilizer drill are as follows:
Step 1: Determine the nominal width of the drill (W).
Step 2: Calculate the length of a strip (L) having nominal width W.
Step 3: Calculate the number of revolutions (N) the ground wheel has to make to cover the length of the strip (L).
Step 4: Jack up the drill so that the ground wheels move or turn freely. Make a mark on the drive wheel and also at a convenient place on the body of the drill to help in counting the revolutions of the drive wheel.
Step 5: Put selected seed and fertilizer in the hopper and place a sack or container below each boot for seeds and fertilizers.
Step 6: Fix the rate control adjustment for the seed and the fertilizer for maximum drilling. note this position on the control for reference.
Step 7: Engage the clutch or adjustment the run-off for the hoppers and rotate the drive wheel at the speed N
Step 8: The quantity of seed and fertilizer weighed, after weighing it, dropped from each opener and recorded on the datasheet.
Step 9: Calculate the seed and fertilizer, dropped in kg/hectare, and record them on the datasheet.
Step 10: Do the process again and again by adjusting the rate control till the desired rate of seeding and fertilizer drop get or obtained.
On the khetigaadi online platform, there are different brands of Seed Drills available.
