The impact of transmission on maize seed deposition in pneumatic dispensers

ABSTRACT The proper distribution of maize seeds in pneumatic dispensers is essential for high-quality sowing operations. To enhance seed distribution accuracy, advanced pneumatic mechanisms utilizing new electrically driven dosing devices have been developed, as mechanical mechanisms often lead to distribution errors. Consequently, it becomes imperative to assess the impact of these mechanisms, particularly concerning operational speed. This study aims to evaluate the transmission performance of pneumatic dispensers when depositing maize seeds at varying operating speeds. The experiment was conducted on a static simulation bench, employing a completely randomized design and assessing two seed distribution mechanisms at speeds of 5.0, 7.0, 9.0, 11.0, and 13.0 km h-1. Parameters analyzed included acceptable spacing, double failure, coefficient of variation, and precision index, gathered from five repetitions of 250 consecutive seed depositions. The results suggest that the independent electrically driven dosing mechanism outperforms the pneumatic dosing mechanism with mechanical transmission in terms of acceptable spacing (1.27), missing spacing (0.85), and accuracy index (1.31). However, it is crucial to note that an increase in operating speed negatively impacts seed quality for both dispenser drive mechanisms.