Development of a sensor system for detection of missing seeds in a tractor operated groundnut planter
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Date
2019
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Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar
Abstract
Groundnut is an important oil seed crop and referred as cash crop from economic point of view. In Odisha groundnut is cultivated in 4.0 lakh ha with a production of 5.0 lakh MT. Groundnut area is increasing in the state and many farmers are using tractor drawn multi crop planter for sowing groundnut seed. In most of the planters missing of seed is the most common phenomena. During sowing of groundnut by groundnut planter, it is seen that consecutive missing of seeds in some rows occur due to either dysfunction of metering system or dropping of seeds back into the seed box from the metering cells. As a result desired plant population per unit area is not obtained causing reduction in yield. To minimize the missing seeds in groundnut planter, a sensor system has been developed for a tractor drawn 9 row groundnut planter. The developed sensor system based on IR technology was found to be convenient for detection of groundnut seeds falling through tube fitted with sensors and it was also observed that during missing of seeds the sensor device provides visual and audible indications to prevent seed loss that will result in increasing yield.
The laboratory evaluation of the planter with sensor system reveals that the variations of actual no. of seeds dropped and display reading of the LCD interface varies from 4.97% to 6.72% when operating speed varies from 2.5 to 3.5 km/h. Also in same laboratory condition, the seed rates were found to be 118.53 kg/ha at 2.5 km/h, 100.10 kg/ha at 3.0 km/h and 93.20 kg/ha at 3.5 km/h operating speed. It was found that the seed rate decreases with increase in speed. The missing of seeds was detected effectively by the system by glowing of respective LEDs, indications of missing row no. in LCD interface and producing buzzer sound. In field condition, lowest missing of seeds of 22.60% was observed at lower speed of 2.5 km/h while the highest missing seeds of 32.85% recorded at higher speed of 3.5 km/h in case of planter without sensor system. While with sensor system attached with planter, it was observed that the missing seeds reduced to 5.92% - 10.84% when speed varies from 2.5 to 3.5 km/h. It was observed that, percentage of missing seeds increased with increase in speed in both the conditions. It was observed that missing percentage of seed reduced about 16-22% with incorporation of sensor device with the planter. It was observed that with increase in speed, seed rate decreases in both the conditions i.e. without using and with using sensor device with the planter and by using sensor system in planter seed rate increased by 20 to 26% as compared to the planter without sensor system.
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Th-5626
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