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Improvement of Performance of a Drum Seeder

M Alam
Professor
Dept. Farm Power and Machinery, BAU, Mymensingh, Bangtadesh

Didarul lslam
Graduate Student
Dept. Farm Power and Machinery, BAU, Mymensingh, Bangtadesh

M Rostom Ali
Assistant Professor
Dept. Farm Power and Machinery, BAU, Mymensingh, Bangtadesh

R lslam
Graduate Student
Dept. Farm Power and Machinery, BAU, Mymensingh, Bangtadesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Performance studies using different types of agitator in the drums of a drum seeder was carried out. Five types of agitators are used i) tyre's rubber, ii) flat plastic bar-I, iii) round aluminum hollow pipe, iv) flat aluminum, v) flat plastic bar-II. The calibration test showed that the seed rate increased with the decreasing of amount of seeds in the drum without using any agitators in drums. The seeder gave the best performance when 84 holes of drum were open. Agitator made of flat plastic bar-II showed the highest seed rate (76 kg ha^-1) and the seed rate was the lowest (60 kg ha^-1) when the seeder was operated without agitator. When 26 holes were open with agitator made of flat plastic showed the highest seed rate (70 kg ha^-1). The experiments showed that the seed rate increased using with an agitator in the drum. On the other hand the uniformity of seed falling was the lowest without using agitators in the system, and it was the highest for flat plastic type-II agitator.

Keywords: Drum seeder, Agitators, Uniformity

Location: Farm Power & Machinery Department, Bangladesh Agricultural university, Mymensingh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Performance evaluation

Objectives:

To improve the performance of drum seeder by using different types of agitators for minimizing the ununiformity of seeding rate.

Methodology:

Five different materials were used to make the agitators. Various materials were used to find the appropriate one to agitating of germinated rice seeds with less injury. These were i) tyre's rubber, ii) flat plastic bar-I, iii) round (10 mm diameter) aluminum hollow pipe, iv) thin aluminum flat bar, v) flat plastic bar-II. Materials required to construct the agitator were procured from the local market. Four bars of each material were screwed with the shaft by means of nuts and bolts over the holes of the drum. Two agitators were fixed in each drum. The seeder has 6-drums mounted on a shaft with two gourd wheels on both side. There are a number of holes in four rows on around each drum. The seed rate was determined in the laboratory of Farm Power & Machinery Department, Bangladesh Agricultural university, Mymensingh. The drums of the seeder were filled with 75% of the drum capacity with germinated seed and the seeder was jacked to clear the wheel from guard. The drums were rotated 30 times by turning the wheels with hand. The amount of seed metered from each drum for the given turn was collected and weighed. The time of turning was also recorded with a stopwatch. The full capacity of the drum was 2kg. The drums were filled in different percentage of its capacity (100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of its full capacity) to determine the effect of amount of seeds in the drum on seeding rate. The experiments were conducted for different agitators and number of holes opening. The relations were found between filling condition of drums seeding rates for different agitators and openings. There are number of holes around the drum in four rows. Two rows in both sides of each drum. The numbers of circular holes are twice than other row in same of the drum. The arrangements of the holes in different numbers and rows provide different seed rates. Experiments were conducted to find the seed rate at different agitators, amount of seeds in drum and number of holes opening. The experiments were conducted in randomized block design with four replications to find a combination of agitator's type, amount of seed in drum and number of holes open for the best seed. The treatments were; T₁= Type of ajitators and without agitator. i. Tyre's rubber, ii. Flat plastic bar-I, iii. Round aluminum hollow pipe, iv. Thin aluminim flat bar, v. Flat plastic bar-ll, vi. Without agitator; : T₂= Amount of seeds in the drum: i) 2.0kg, ii. 1.5kg, iii.1.0kg, and iv) 0.5kg; T₃= Number of holes open, i) 28 nos., ii) 56 nos., iii) 84 nos. The balance analysis of variance (ANOVA) for seed rate for different agitators was determined by statistical software MSTAT.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Prog. Sci. & Iech. 6(2), 329-334; July, 2008

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

This research indicated that the seed rate from a drum seeder increased with the decrease of amount of seed in drum. It was found that the agitator could increase the seed rate from a drum seeder. On the other hand, it was also found that the uniformity of seed rate during the operation of a drum seeder was higher for using the agitators. The agitator made of plastic-II performed the best performance. It gave the highest seed rate (76 kg ha^-1) which was 27% higher than the seed rate for without agitators system. Therefore, it might be concluded that an agitator made of plastic channel used in a drum seeder to increase the seed rate and uniform distribution of seeds during operation.

Knowledge Management: Journal