WO2023233172A1

WO2023233172A1 - Examination of the efficiency of elevated sowing depending on different basic cultivation processes and crops

Info

Publication number: WO2023233172A1
Application number: PCT/HU2022/000007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vince LÁNG
Original assignee: Discovery Center Nonprofit Ltd.
Priority date: 2022-05-30
Filing date: 2022-05-30
Publication date: 2023-12-07

Abstract

We conducted an experiment to determine the optimal sowing speed for certain field crops, that makes it easy to plan the speed at which the plants can be sown in different weather conditions as accurately and efficiently as possible. We believe that given the current extreme weather, this will make the planning of sowing much easier.

Description

Title: Examination of the efficiency of elevated sowing depending on different basic cultivation processes and crops

When it comes to producing a field or horticultural crop, compliance with the optimal time and the precise implementation of sowing is a pivotal point for crop production. The main features of sowing are row and plant distance, sowing depth and the amount of seeds. Less is said about the exact choice of sowing speed, although it affects all the parameters that are the main features of sowing. Quality of sowing directly affects germination, dynamic of plant development, necessary plant protection and quantity and quality of yield. Thus, the basic condition for establishing successful sunflower, maize, soy, autumn wheat, autumn cabbage rape cultivation is sowing at the right time and with optimal quality and the underlying basic cultivation.

The effects of climate change are felt daily in Hungary. They also affect sowing and harvesting times and the quantity and quality of the harvested crop. In addition, farmers have less and less time available to sow their arable crops on time.

Shortening the time sowing takes is exactly a direction of development of cultivation technology that provides an opportunity to deal with these problems. The speed and uniform quality of sowing has therefore become increasingly important.

In the project the development of high-speed sowing + basic cultivation technologies would be carried out with the involvement of the most important domestic arable crops (winter wheat, maize, sunflower, soy, and autumn cabbage rape).

In the first year, all sites were properly set up for experiments. No harmful soil compaction was measured in the depth of sowing (0-10 cm), nor was there a solid soil state in the deeper soil layers. The development of our crops was therefore not affected by unfavorable soil condition. Producers also professionally carried out basic cultivation practices and seedbed preparation before sowing. Outliers and deviations observed on occasion were due to heterogeneity within the table.

In proportion to the increase in the sowing speed, the number of sowing errors and average planting distance also increased. Normal distribution charts help to evaluate differences between each speed. From the concentration of the bell curve and the outlier capital crises, we learn that denser or rarer sowing was more typical than sowing errors. In the case of 16-18 km/h speed range, the number of double and triple sowings increased. In addition, the number of incomplete sowings also became significant. In many cases, at a higher speed, the seed was not placed in the soil by the seed truck. Valuable propagating material was on the surface of the soil for several meters.

Seeding machines used in the experiments worked most accurate at speeds of 10 and 12 km/h. At 14-16-18 km/h, machines worked reliably where the high pressure of the coulter was constant. Generally, machines that are designed with a more robust beam structure can do this. In the experiments, machines working on areas larger than 6 rows proved to be better. After the second- ydar results, it will be worth examining the different seeding machine constructions. What effect does the weight, working width and soil tracking of the machine may have on the quality of the sowing at different speeds.

Based on the results, it can be concluded that the method of basic cultivation (without rotation or rotation) did not affect the development of the average plant distances. The differences between the two treatments are more due to heterogeneity of the soil. At the moment, there is little data available for accurate statistical evaluations. Setting up another experiment in spring with consistent conditions would be of help in solving this issue. The conclusions and experience drawn from this are already appliable on a practical level and can help farmers in their day-to-day work.

The requirement for seed drill is that the depth of the machine is adequate, 90% of the seed should be placed at a set depth (a deviation of plus or minus 1-2 cm is acceptable). In the stock inspection, we recorded the sowing and seedbed errors. In this case, the distance between propagating materials were not in focus as they were in the spring-sowed sunflowers and maize. For close-set cereals this distance varies on average from 1.0 to 2 cm.

With the different sowing speeds, the differences between the maximum and minimum values on the tested boards did not reach 0.5 cm. Incomplete rows with sowing errors were not identified in the studied areas. The stock developed properly in the autumn period. The experimental areas were weed-free.

Before spring topdressings, we used remote sensing methods to measure the biomass difference between different treatments. In addition to the methods used for the study, there was no significant difference in the biomass of stocks, which shows that the minimum sowing differences were well compensated by the plants with the degree of bushing.

Despite the rather homogeneous stock image, differentiated topdressing was also carried out to examine its effect on increasing homogeneity, which also did not bring significant differences based on the measured biomass.

Based on the above results, it can be stated that the seeding machines included in the test are capable of sowing with high accuracy in addition to the given soil parameters, therefore even high-speed sowing can be carried out without impairing the quality of sowing. This may mean an almost double area coverage in time for the speeds tested.

In conclusion, in the case of seeding machines of different structures and technologies, adequate quality can be achieved evenly in the case of sowing uniformity and sowing depths. Therefore, where this is necessary - and the area, the soil condition is suitable - it is worth speeding up the process to achieve optimal sowing time.

In the second year, we were able to perform the experiment with appropriate settings at each location. Nowhere in the depth of sowing (0-10 cm) was harmful soil compaction measured, nor was there any harmfully compact soil condition in the deeper soil layers. The development of plants was not affected by physical condition of the soil. The farmers also professionally carried out the basic cultivation and the seedbed preparation before sowing. The occasionally observed outliers and deviations were due to heterogeneity within the table.

By increasing the speed of sowing, in many cases the number of sowing errors also increased. Normal distribution charts can be used to evaluate the differences between each speed. And from the concentration of the bell curve and the outlier capital crises, we can learn that denser or rarer sowing was more typical than sowing errors. In the 14-16 km/h speed range, the frequency of sowing errors has increased. In addition, the number of incomplete sowings also became significant. In many cases, at a higher speed, the seed was not placed in the soil by the seed truck. Valuable propagating material was on the surface of the soil for several meters. For this reason, the examination of the 18 km/h treatment became impossible due to the lack of data and its large scattering. Seeding machines used in the experiments sowed most accurately at speeds of 10 and 12 km/h. At a speed of 14-16 km/h, seeders worked reliably where coulter high pressure was continuously ensured. As a rule, seeders that are designed with a more robust beam structure can do this. In the experiments, seeders with a working area wider than 6 rows proved to be better.

Based on the results, it can be said that the method of basic cultivation (without rotation or rotation) did not affect the development of the circling distances, since there is a difference of 1-2 cm between the two treatments in terms of distances, which does not make a significant difference in the case of sunflower or maize stock. The differences between the two treatments are more due to the heterogeneity of soil.

The results of the experiment are scientifically valid, as shown by the evidence of the degree of dispersion seen from the treatments and all the studies, as the standard deviation between the treatments was never greater than 8 cm.

Overall, in the case of sowing sunflowers, a maximum speed of 12 km/h is recommended for sowing at the raised sowing speed, after which the sowing becomes inaccurate, which is due to the technological peculiarities of the seeding machines and morphology of the seed. This result is confirmed by literature and practical experience.

In the case of sowing maize, it is possible to sow at an elevated sowing speed, however, up to a maximum speed of 16 km/h, the optimal sowing speed is recommended based on the experiment at 12-14 km/h speed, which depends on soil type, method of basic cultivation, but most of all on the seeding machine.

The increased sowing speed of 18 km/h is not recommended for either plant, as seeding machines become inaccurate at this range due to their technological characteristics, and the wear and amortization of the machines is also higher, therefore increasing the speed up to this range has no practical benefit.

The conclusions and experiences drawn from this research are useful on a practical level and can help farmers in their day-to-day work.

Summing up in the case of row crops, based on the experiments, it is clear that in most cases the distance between plants increases as the speed increases. The phenomenon can be observed to varying degrees at all experimental sites. It can be established that the effect is largely independent from the type of seeding machines. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the increasing rate of sowing errors, which we also observed in the experiments. At the speed range of 16-18 km/h, seeders became unreliable and could not properly follow the ground, the number of double and triple sowings increased significantly. In addition, there were more and more incomplete sowings. In many cases, we observed that at higher speeds, the seed cart could not properly place the seed in the soil. Occasionally, we found valuable propagating material on the surface of the soil for several meters. It is easy to conclude that the errors were caused by the increased speed and the number of mistakes resulted crop losses.

In the experiment, we assumed that the plants are not able to compensate for the decreased density. In reality, this is only partially true, however with a lower than optimal number of crops, yield loss is expected.

In the experiments, at the speed of 10 km/h was always considered 100%, highest sowing density was measured at this speed range. At a speed of 12 km/h, the number of plants decreased by an average of 6.8%. At a speed of 14 km/h, the number of plants and the expected yield decreased by

Claims

an average of 8.64%. In the event of such a loss, it is necessary to seriously consider whether it is worth accelerating sowing to such a speed. In the range of 16-18 km/h, smaller seeders became unreliable and some were found unsuitable for use at such speeds. The seeding machines used in the experiments were the most accurate at speeds of 10 and 12 km/h. In general, seeders with a more robust beam structure are able to sow more accurately at higher speeds. In the experiments, seeders with a working aera wider than 6 rows turned out to be better. Differentiated topdressing, which in many cases can be successfully applied to homogenize heterogeneous field crops, has not been able to compensate for the difference resulting from sowing, hence this cannot be a solution in the later period of the growing season in case the farmer is forced to sow at a higher speed and consequently has a heterogeneous plant stock after germination. Based on the evaluation of the accuracy of the sowing speeds and the soil characteristics, as well as based on literary data, we have created a simplified calculator which may be suitable for selecting the optimal sowing speed based on the recommended maximum sowing speed of the seeding machine, the liquid limit according to Arany, soil moisture content and cultivation. Based on modifier values, the appropriate sowing speed can be derived. However, it should be kept in mind that only a small number of seeders and soil types were examined in the experiment, thus the more parameters differ from the basic parameters included in the present test, the greater the error possibility of the model. Patent claims:

1. Optimum sowing speed (km/h) = Maximum recommended sowing speed (km/h) * Soil modifier * Cultivation modifier

1. Table 1: Modifier factors depending on constraint and moisture content

2. Table 1: Modifiable factors depending on the method of cultivation