DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI-CROP MANUAL SEED DRILL

Abstract

A machine which can sow seeds of paddy, wheat, black gram, mung bean, lentil, mustard, and radish in rows was designed and developed at the department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University. The machine, consisted of two wheels, two drums with a number of peripheral openings in seven rows, furrow opener, furrow closer and handle. There is a provision to change the openings of drum for different types of seed and row spacing for sowing seeds. The average seed rate was found 88 kg/ha, 122 kg/ha, 33 kg/ha, 50 kg/ha, 32 kg/ha, 3.8 kg/ha, and 7.2 kg/ha for paddy, wheat, black gram, mung bean, lentil, radish, and mustard, respectively at normal walking speed.  A relation was found between seed rates and filling condition of drums.  Since the seed rates were not uniform with the change of filling conditions of drums by seeds, agitators were designed and fixed with the shaft to get the better seed rate at different filling conditions. It was found that the best filling conditions of drum to get the uniform seed rate were 0.9-2 kg, 0.25-1.7 kg, 0.8-2 kg, 1.4-2.2 kg, 0.9-2 kg, 1-1.21 kg and 1-2 kg for paddy, wheat, black gram, mung bean, radish, mustard, and lentil, respectively whereas the best operational speed of the machine was found 2-4 km/hr. The average effective field capacities of the machine at a speed of 2.58 km/hr were 0.17 ha/hr (width 80 cm), and 0.24 ha/hr (width 120 cm) having field efficiencies as 82.22% and 78.6%, respectively. The estimated cost of the machine was Tk 5,750 only. The weight of the whole machine was only 14 kg and required a pulling force of only 10.5 Kg which made it to operate at ease by a man or a woman in the field. Overall performance of the multi-crop seed drill machine was found satisfactory.