Effect Of Drilling Quality On Biomass Yield

Abstract

The paper is focused on the study and evaluation of quality of the seeding of seeds and its effect on the biomass yield. The aim was to evaluate the space arrangement of the seeds by using of polygon method on one field with the repetition for different forward speeds of the drill machine - 10, 12, 14, 16 a 18 km.h-1. Field experiments have been conducted with the drill machine with continuous seeding TUME NOVA COMBI 3000 having a double-disc seeding unit. Within the experiments there was used winter wheat, variety Magisters, with seeding rate 220 kg per ha. For the evaluation there were used digital photographs, which were taken during repeated measurements of the each value of the forward speed after sprouting of crop. These images have been used in order to determine the shape and size of the surface area belonging to the plant. Own software TfPolyM was used for the image analysis. The shape of the polygons belonging to the individual plants was expressed by values of the shape factor Tf. This factor characterises the suitability the shape of polygon surface related to the individual plant. By comparing of the values of the shape factors for different forward speeds of the drill machine we can determine the optimal value of the forward speed from the point of seed placement uniformity in horizontal level. During harvest of the crop there was analysed the variability of the biomass yield in relation to values of the forward speed used during seeding. The following parameters of the crop yield were measured: total yield, grain yield, straw yield and chaff yield.

The best values of the shape factor Tf  (0.856) were obtained  for the forward speed 14 km.h^-1. When the forward speed was higher or smaller the values of the shape factor Tf were decreased.

Average size of polygons was also studied. Increasing of the forward speed up to 14 km.h^-1 has caused the increase of the average size of polygons. Further increase of the forward speed up to 18 km.h^-1 has resulted in slight decrease of the average size of polygons. Such fact can be caused by imperfect filling of the metering unit on the drill machine.

  As the maximal yield 392.74 g.m^-2 was found for the case of forward speed 14 km.h^-1. The highest values of the grain yield 222.32 g.m^-2 was measured for the drill machine forward speed 14 km.h^-1. Based on the results obtained it can be stated that forward speed of the drill machine effects the placement of the seeds in horizontal level and this fact subsequently effects the yield of biomass.