AU5031298A - Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows - Google Patents
Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU5031298A AU5031298A AU50312/98A AU5031298A AU5031298A AU 5031298 A AU5031298 A AU 5031298A AU 50312/98 A AU50312/98 A AU 50312/98A AU 5031298 A AU5031298 A AU 5031298A AU 5031298 A AU5031298 A AU 5031298A
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- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- implement
- fertilizer
- soil
- seed
- openers
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- Abandoned
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Description
AUSTRALIA
PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Bourgault Industries Ltd.
ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.
INVENTION TITLE: Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- This invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for, seeding and mid-row banding of fertilizer for farm crops.
Background As farms become larger and labour becomes more expensive, capitol intensive farming and larger implements operated by a single operator are becoming standard.
Furthermore, the high cost of fuel has precipitated a need to reduce the number of passes of machinery over the field to accomplish cultivating, seeding, fertilizing, packing, spraying and eventual harvesting of the crop.
Of particular importance is the trend towards onepass seeding, fertilizing, cultivating and packing of the field. Unfortunately, it is not advantageous to deposit high rates of nitrogen fertilizer and seed together in the same furrow. The nitrogen fertilizer will often reduce emergence and delay crop development. Furthermore, too much fertilizer at the onset of the plant's life can reduce yield. Thus, it has been found that the most advantageous method of banding fertilizer is to place most or all of the nitrogen required to grow a crop separate and away from the seed in a one-pass seeding and fertilizing operation. Alternating fertilizer rows mid way between every pair of seed rows is one form of mid-row banding. (Another way to mid-row band is to alternate a fertilizer row between every seed row.) la Many types of attachments for seeding implements generically identified as dual-shoot openers have been designed, built and tested over the years. The purpose of these openers is to provide seed and fertilizer separation.
Many will only provide separation between the seed and fertilizer in certain soil types.
Other prior art devices have high draft requirements and leave the soil surface extremely rough, making future operations such as spraying and swathing hard on equipment and the operator.
Presently, fully functional mid-row banding systems add separate fertilizer delivery systems between every other pair of shanks on a cultivator, chisel plow or air hoe drill.
(Some dual shooting type of openers place a row of fertilizer between two rows of seeds. The entire dual shooting mechanism for accomplishing this is mounted on each shank assembly.) The fertilizer delivery system generally includes a means for attaching an arm to the frame of the cultivator or other implement, and an arm which generally has attached to it a coulter disk for creating a slot for a fertilizer delivery tube. All of the seeding implement shanks are dedicated to producing a seed row, whereas the coulters are used to produce fertilizer rows. These machines, however, are quite costly.
Additionally, because of the extra equipment needed for the mid-row banding, the implements are heavy. Thus, the machine must be constructed of materials of sufficient strength to carry the extra implements.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a implement which is capable of seeding and mid-row fertilizer banding, which is light weight, versatile, and lowcost.
Therefore, this invention seeks to provide a farm implement adapted to be pulled by a power source and used for fertilizing, tilling, and seeding the soil; said implement comprising: a frame with a plurality of soil openers attached thereto; said frame being supported by a plurality of support wheels; said soil openers being arranged, in operation, to create a plurality of furrows parallel to one another and parallel to the line of travel of said power source and said implement; said soil openers comprising: first soil openers, adapted, in operation, to each deliver a single row of fertilizer; and second soil openers adapted, in operation, to each deliver two parallel rows of seed; said first and second soil openers being mounted on said farm implement in an alternating arrangement transverse to the direction of travel such that, in operation, said implement creates two seed rows between adjacent fertilizer rows.
The invention further seeks to provide a method of mid-row banding fertilizer comprising: mounting first soil openers and second soil openers in an alternating arrangement on frame cross members of a farm implement positioned transverse to the direction of travel of a (b) directing a stream of air blown fertilizer to a fertilizer distribution port on each of said first soil openers; (c) directing a stream of air blown seed to said second soil openers; splitting said stream of air blown seed into two seed distribution ports adjacent said second soil openers; (e) moving said implement in a forward direction thus creating two parallel seed rows between adjacent fertilizer rows; and (f) packing said seed rows with packer wheels.
In an alternative arrangement, a method of mid-row banding fertilizer comprises: mounting first soil openers and second soil openers in an alternating arrangement on frame cross members of a farm implement positioned transverse to the direction of travel; directing a stream of air blown fertilizer to a fertilizer distribution port on each of said first soil openers; directing a stream of air blown seed to said second soil openers; splitting said stream of air blown seed into two seed distribution ports adjacent said second openers; moving said implement in a forward direction thus in operation creating two parallel seed rows between adjacent fertilizer rows; and mounting harrows on the back cross members of the implement frame thus covering the seed and fertilizer and leveling the soil. If required, packing could be provided by a wing-up type packer located behind the cultivator, attached to either the cultivator or air seeder depending on the seeding unit's configuration.
(The seeding unit can be configured to have the air seeder located in front of the ground engaging implement or behind, depending on the preference of the farmer.) Packing can also be provided in a separate follow-up operation.
In a simple embodiment of the present invention one begins with a stock cultivator, chisel plow or air hoe drill having existing mounted shanks with soil openers thereon.
-4- Normally, these implements deliver one row of seed from a single seed boot located behind each one of the soil openers.
However, in the present invention every second soil opener, in a transverse line across the machine, is equipped with two seed delivery ports, thereby being capable of depositing two parallel rows of seed. Alternating existing shanks are equipped with a single fertilizer boot or distribution port.
Thus, there is no need to add additional coulters or other openers to create the fertilizer rows.
The soil openers used for seeding and fertilizing are typically sweeps, spoons or single shoot knife openers which are modestly priced in comparison with the dual shoot boots or openers used in the prior art mid-row fertilizer banding devices. Furthermore, the seed boots used for placing seed in paired rows are relatively inexpensive when compared with the dual shoot boots. The implement can be equipped with packer wheels which are matched with the paired seed rows with either one narrow packer wheel packing each seed row or a single wide packer wheel packing a pair of seed rows or with mounted harrows which assist in covering up the seed and fertilizer rows and leveling the surface of the soil.
The distance between the paired rows and the fertilizer rows will vary from situation to situation for the perceived needs of the operator and the shank spacing on the seeding implement. Generally, once a machine is configured at a certain spacing it remains at that spacing for the entire life of the machine.
A typical configuration to produce a crop with 8 inch spaced apart rows is to space fertilizer openers at an 8 inch distance between centers of the paired rows. The shanks that produce the paired rows are equipped with 12 inch sweeps and the shanks carrying the fertilizer boots are equipped with 4 or 5 inch sweeps. The cultivator could typically be equipped with mounted packers with packer wheels at 8 inch centers with the center lines of the packer wheels placed in alignment with the center lines of the seed rows. All of the field area would be cultivated and the center lines of each of the seed rows would be 4 inches away from the center lines of the fertilizer rows.
In another configuration, the cultivator shanks can be spaced 10 inches apart with the pair of seed rows being spaced eight inches apart behind every alternate shank. The fertilizer is placed in a narrow row 10 inches from the center line of adjacent eight inch paired seed row center line such that the center line of each individual seed row is six inches away from the center line of the adjacent fertilizer row.
Another configuration would be a 7 inch spaced air hoe drill with a paired row spacing 4 inches between seed rows and a single 4 1/2 inch packer wheel running over both rows.
The center lines of the fertilizer rows would then be 5 inches away from the center lines of the seed rows. The sweep on the shank producing the paired row could be up to 12 inches wide whereas the sweep on the fertilizer opener could be up to inches wide.
The invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: -6- Figure 1 is a planar view of a cultivator/seeder/ fertilizer of the present invention; Figure 2 is a planar view of a alternative embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a planar view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a perspective detailed view of the soil opening sweeps and corresponding packer wheels; and Figure 5 is a planar view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.
In Figure 1 a cultivator/seeder/fertilizer implement is shown generally as 1. The cultivator of this particular embodiment has a central frame section 2, a left wing boom frame section 3a, and a right wing boom frame section 3b. The cultivator is towable by a floating hitch 4, which is attached in a known manner to a power source such as a tractor.
The frame sections 2, 3a, and 3b, are supported in the seeding/operating position by forward caster wheel assemblies 5. The center frame section 2 is also supported by cultivator support wheels 6, while the left wing boom frame section 3a is supported by cultivator support wheel assembly 7a, and the right wing boom frame section 3b is supported by right wing support wheel assembly 7b. The frame consists of a plurality of transverse frame members 8 and longitudinal frame members 9. The combination soil openers, fertilizer distributors, and seed distributors will be discussed later in further detail, however they are mounted on the transverse frame members 8 with brackets 10 on the top sides of the frame members 8 and by brackets 30 on the underside of frame members 8.
The soil openers 12 and 14 are mounted rearwardly and forwardly in a staggered relationship. It is to be understood that such soil openers can be mounted in any configuration to create narrower or wider rows, however they must be staggered to insure good trash shedding.
Downwardly extending shanks 11 are attached by brackets 10 and 30 to the frame members 8. Attached to the bottom of shanks 11 are seed distribution soil opening sweeps 12 and fertilizer distribution soil opener sweeps 14.
In the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, one notes that the width of the seed distribution soil opener sweeps 12 is considerably greater than that of the fertilizer distribution soil opener sweeps 14. The seed distribution soil opener sweeps 12 are equipped with a splitter seed boot 13. Thus, when seed is introduced through the seed distribution ducts 28, as shown in Figure 4, it is split into two streams by the splitter seed boot 13, thereby creating a pair of seed rows 16.
On the other hand, the fertilizer soil opener sweeps 14 have a single fertilizer boot 15 which creates a single fertilizer row 17 approximately mid-way between adjacent seed rows. Fertilizer is fed to fertilizer boot 15 through fertilizer duct 29.
One notes from the drawings that there is only one fertilizer row 17 for each pair of seed rows 16. Thus, none of the seed rows have fertilizer placed on both sides of the seed row but only on one side. This technique is known as mid-row banding. Sufficient fertilizer can be placed in row 17 to serve the needs of two seed rows 16.
As shown in Figures 1 and 3, pivotally mounted to the rearmost transverse frame member 8 are a plurality of packer wheel assemblies shown generally as 18. These packer wheel assemblies 18 each have a plurality of single packer wheels 20 which are, in turn, each adapted to pack a single seed row 16. One also notes in Figures 1 and 2, that wing frame sections 3a and 3b are pivotally mounted at 19 to center section 2 to enable a narrow transport width for the S implement.
The implement shown in Figure 2 is very similar to that shown in Figure 1 with a couple of exceptions. One notes, particularly in Figure 2, that the fertilizer sweeps 22 have openers which have the same width as those of the seed distribution soil opener sweeps 12. However, fertilizer sweeps 22 distribute only one row of fertilizer 17, through the fertilizer boot 15. Also shown in Figure 2 are wider packer wheels 21 which are adapted to pack two seed rows shown as 16. Only one row of fertilizer is placed adjacent a seed row 16, that is to say, fertilizer is placed on only one side of a seed row.
Figure 3 is a slightly different type of seeding/fertilizing/tilling implement known as an air hoe drill 23. It is equipped with hydraulic cylinders 24 to raise and lower the air hoe drill shanks 11 by raising the frame 2 between front castering wheel 5 and rear packer assemblies 18.
In Figure 4 the trip mechanism for fertilizer and seed distribution soil opener sweeps 12 and 14 is shown.
Mounting bracket 10 has an upwardly inclined trip tower which holds the upper end of a tension spring 26. Tension spring 26 is attached at its lower end to a shank holder 25, to which the upper end of shank 11 is attached. When soil openers 12 or 14 strike an object, shank 11 is pushed upwardly and rearwardly pivoting about horizontal axis 27 and placing tension on spring 26. When an obstacle is cleared the respective shank 11 returns to its normal position. Thus, breakage of soil openers 12 and 14 is avoided.
In Figure 5 mounted harrows 28 replace parking wheels to cover seed and fertilizer and level the soil.
Claims (28)
1. A farm implement adapted to be pulled by a power source and used for fertilizing, tilling, and seeding the soil; said implement comprising: a frame with a plurality of soil openers attached thereto; said frame being supported by a plurality of support wheels; said soil openers being arranged, in operation, to create a plurality of furrows parallel to one another and parallel to the line of travel of said power source and said implement; said soil openers comprising: first soil openers, adapted, in operation, to each deliver a single row of fertilizer; and second soil openers adapted, in operation, to each deliver two parallel rows of seed; said first and second soil openers being mounted on said farm implement in an alternating arrangement transverse to the direction of travel such that, in operation, said implement creates two seed rows between adjacent fertilizer rows.
2. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first soil openers are narrower than said second soil openers such that, in operation, said first soil openers till a -11- M narrower strip of land than said second soil openers.
3. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first soil openers create one furrow and said second soil openers create two furrows.
4. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame includes a plurality of cross members extending across the width of said implement transverse to the line of travel; said cross members being positioned in a fore and aft relationship throughout the length of said implement. A farm implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second soil openers, which are mounted on said farm implement in an alternating arrangement transverse to the direction of travel, are mounted on said cross members in a staggered relationship such that a first soil opener is on a forward cross member and an adjacent second soil opener is mounted on a rearward cross member, or alternatively, a first soil opener is mounted on a rearward cross member and an adjacent second soil opener is mounted on a forward cross member.
6. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality of pivotally mounted packer wheel assemblies attached to the rear of said implement; said packer wheel assemblies including a plurality of packer wheels; -12- said packer wheels being adapted, in operation, to pack said parallel rows of seed.
7. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein mounted harrows are located on a last transverse member of said frame, said harrows being adapted to cover seed and fertilizer and level the surface of the soil.
8. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first soil openers include a single fertilizer boot or exit port, and said second soil openers include two seed boots or exit ports.
9. A farm implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second soil openers each include a Y-shaped splitter duct; said splitter duct being adapted, in operation, to deliver two parallel rows of seed. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second soil openers are mounted such that, in operation, said seed rows are spaced approximately 8 inches from one another and each of said fertilizer rows is spaced 4 inches from an adjacent seed row.
11. A method of mid-row banding fertilizer comprising: mounting first soil openers and second soil openers in an alternating arrangement on frame cross members transverse to the direction of travel of a farm implement;
13- directing a stream of air blown fertilizer to a fertilizer distribution port on each of said first soil openers; directing a stream of air blown seed to said second soil openers; splitting said stream of air blown seed into two seed delivery ports adjacent said second soil openers; moving said implement in a forward direction thus creating two parallel seed rows between adjacent fertilizer rows; and packing said seed rows with packer wheels. 12. A one-pass seeding and fertilizing apparatus comprising: a seeding implement with a hitch and a frame adapted to be towed directly or indirectly by a power source; a multitude of ground engaging shanks connected to horizontally oriented frame members when in a working position; (c).ground engaging openers attached to the ends of the shanks remote from the frame; a pair of seed delivery tubes attached to the rear of said shanks of first ground engaging openers; and a single fertilizer delivery tube attached to the rear of said shanks of second ground engaging openers located immediately adjacent each of said first ground engaging openers; thereby, in operation, creating arrangements of -14- two seed rows and one fertilizer row organized in an alternating manner across the width of the seeding implement. 13. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the implement is a cultivator.
14. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the implement is a chisel plow.
15. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the implement is an air hoe drill.
16. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ground engaging opener for the pair of seed rows is a sweep opener.
17. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ground engaging opener for the fertilizer row is a sweep opener.
18. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ground engaging opener for the fertilizer row is a knife opener.
19. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ground engaging opener for the fertilizer row is a spoon opener. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein a source for the seed is an air seeder.
21. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein a source for the fertilizer is an air seeder.
22. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein a source for the fertilizer is a pressure vessel and the fertilizer is anhydrous ammonia.
23. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein a source for the fertilizer is a liquid tank and the fertilizer is in a liquid form.
24. A cultivator or a chisel plow seeding implement as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein a frame is supported by a hitch and wheels. A cultivator or chisel plow seeding implement as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein a frame is supported by front caster wheels and wheels within the frame.
26. An air hoe drill seeding implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein a frame is supported by front caster wheels and rear packer wheels while in a seeding position.
27. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 26, wherein the packer wheels are plastic, steel, steel with a rubber cap -16- I or pneumatic tires.
28. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein each seed row is packed by a packer wheel.
29. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein each seed row pair is packed by one wheel. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 24, wherein packing is provided by coil packers towed behind the seeding implement on a separate bar.
31. A seeding implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in operation, the implement provides complete tillage of the soil for weed control, herbicide incorporation, residue distribution, soil surface breakup and levelling, and other related management operations. -17- 18
32. A farm implement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples.
33. A method of fertilizing and feeding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples.
34. The steps, features, compositions and compounds disclosed herein or referred to or indicated in the specification and/or claims of this application, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features. DATED this SIXTH day of JANUARY 1998 Bourgault Industries Ltd. by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU50312/98A AU5031298A (en) | 1998-01-06 | 1998-01-06 | Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU50312/98A AU5031298A (en) | 1998-01-06 | 1998-01-06 | Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU5031298A true AU5031298A (en) | 1999-07-29 |
Family
ID=3736823
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU50312/98A Abandoned AU5031298A (en) | 1998-01-06 | 1998-01-06 | Seeding system: alternating paired seed and fertilizer rows |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU5031298A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10278325B2 (en) | 2016-08-19 | 2019-05-07 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | In-furrow agricultural product applicator |
| CN111771479A (en) * | 2020-06-16 | 2020-10-16 | 山西省农业科学院玉米研究所 | Quinoa seeding and fertilizing integrated device |
-
1998
- 1998-01-06 AU AU50312/98A patent/AU5031298A/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10278325B2 (en) | 2016-08-19 | 2019-05-07 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | In-furrow agricultural product applicator |
| CN111771479A (en) * | 2020-06-16 | 2020-10-16 | 山西省农业科学院玉米研究所 | Quinoa seeding and fertilizing integrated device |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK1 | Application lapsed section 142(2)(a) - no request for examination in relevant period |