Abstract:

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an electronic weighing and evaluation system for testing and analyzing the seed and fertilizer flow characteristics of the seeders. Material and Methods: In this study, the flow characteristics of a fertilizer unit of a 4-row precision seeder were determined by measurement of weights of fertilizer. In experiments, composite fertilizer (15:15:15) was used at different forward speeds (1.0, 1.5 ve 2.0 m s-1) and fertilizer flow rates varied by orifice size (fully open, ¾ open, half open). The flow evenness and the fertilizer distribution of furrow openers were also determined employing electronic measurement system for the experiments. Results: Based on the findings of this work, it has been determined that the measurements discussed within the scope of the study can be performed precisely and effectively not only in a short time but also using minimum human labor by employing electronic weight and evaluation system. It was determined that the time requirement of the experiments conducted with the traditional method was approximately 3.5 times higher as compared to the developed system. Conclusion: The results showed that the electronic weighing and evaluation system can be easily used for measurement of weights of all kind of seed drills, combined precision seeders and fertilizer side dressers, and the evaluation of their experimental results.

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