Main Issues in Choosing Sowing Equipment

Which sowing equipment to choose so that the price corresponds to the quality? Key points to consider when selecting agricultural machinery read in the article by specialists from Hydromarket.

The offer of sowing aggregates in our country is quite extensive - you can find both domestic products and products from foreign manufacturers. This agricultural machinery is designed for uniform distribution of sowing material over the area, therefore quality of sowing is a key parameter when choosing a machine. But it also has other characteristics that should be considered when purchasing, for example, reliability and ease of operation.

Key parameters when choosing a seeder

When selecting specialized equipment, it is important to evaluate your needs and capabilities of the machinery. For sowing equipment, the following is important:

• terrain relief where sowing will take place (if there is a large number of irregularities, it is recommended to use not a standard, but an anchor aggregate with independent suspension);
• type of soil and its granulometric composition (on light soils a machine with a power of 23 hp per meter of width is sufficient, on heavy soils, 30-35 hp are required);
• field size and contour (on large areas, it is optimal to use wide-row implements, on small plots with complex contours, seeders with small pass width are used);
• climatic conditions of the region, soil moisture (if sowing occurs on dry land, it is optimal to use a disc seeder, for oversaturated soils it is better to use anchor or cultivator attachments);
• sowing rate, accuracy, and speed.

To maintain the required sowing rate of seeds, it is necessary to take appropriate measures, namely:

• properly select the aggregate (anchor, cultivator, disc, and other types) and adjust it taking into account the speed of the towing transport and the amount of seeds per unit area processed;
• set the required sowing rate;
• verify the result taking into account wheel slippage, if necessary — calibrate;
• disable the seeder on turns;
• use markers to maintain the width of row spacing.

Quality, reliability, and practicality of sowing aggregates

Very recently, the main sowing equipment in our country was the grain seeder SZ-3.6, which is still often found on farmers' holdings. This is an aggregate with a simple construction, easy operation, affordable spare parts, which was used for sowing almost all agricultural crops. Its operation involved the regulated distribution of sowing material over the area and that's all.

Modern, in particular imported equipment, has a more advanced construction, improvements, thanks to which the sowing process occurs faster, seedlings become more uniform and robust. These technical features make the machine more reliable and efficient, and therefore — more desirable. But at the same time, modern models of sowing aggregates, equipped with auxiliary mechanisms and electronic systems, cost more than the simplest aggregate.

Range of sowing equipment

In Ukraine, various sowing aggregates and complexes are offered, each of which has its advantages and sphere of application. Let's consider the most popular and effective of them.

Seeders are machines of various modifications, (row, quadrangular-hole, hole, dotted, broadcast), constructions (anchor, disc, cultivator), purposes (special and universal), with additional features (application of fertilizers, rolling of seedlings, loosening soil). They are produced by Ukrainian and foreign companies, and the price of domestic equipment is several times lower than imported analogues with similar technical characteristics and capabilities.

Sowing complexes — are multifunctional devices capable of performing several operations in one pass, for example, plowing and preparing the soil, performing furrow cultivation, distributing sowing material over the area, applying fertilizers and rolling the seedlings. Using a complex allows to reduce fuel costs (fewer passes over the field — less fuel consumed), payment for operator work, reduce fertilizer consumption by 35-50% (due to local application), increase yield by a third. Such aggregates are available in various modifications and pay for themselves within a few years.

Hydroseeding installations — special equipment used for landscaping areas, lawn installation. This is wide-row equipment capable of evenly distributing seeds over the surface of the ground, planting them to the same depth, applying fertilizers and other beneficial substances for plants. Hydroseeding technology is used not only during the sowing campaign, in winter the equipment can spread liquid anti-icing agents on roads and pedestrian paths.

When choosing sowing aggregates, it is advisable to consult with specialists who will help determine the optimal model at a low cost.

Source: https://hydromarket.com.ua