![]() Consequently, the weight of seed per bushel (or other measure of volume), the number of seeds per pound, the target seeding rate in pounds per acre, and the appropriate seeding depth are all key pieces of information when setting up and calibrating a drill. Drills meter a volume of seedĭrills actually meter out a volume of seed rather than a precise weight or number of seeds (see inset “Counting seeds in the row”). Usually, minor adjustments in the size of the opening at the seed metering unit will fine-tune the metering to provide the desired seeding rates. When calibrating and setting a drill, consult the drill’s manual to ensure that the seed metering unit is opened to the appropriate size and the driveshaft gearing is set to the appropriate settings. In the bottom of the hopper box (left), an opening allows seed to flow into the seed metering unit. The weight of the drill compresses the down pressure springs that force the press wheels against the soil surface.įigure 3. The press wheel follows behind and closes the furrow and firms the soil around the seed. The seed is dropped between or just behind the double-disks, placing the seed within the furrow opened in the soil created by the opener. The seed then falls down through the drop tubes. As a drive shaft turns, seed is metered out and dropped into the seed cup.Īs the drill travels across the field, a ground-driven wheel connected to a driveshaft turns and seed from a hopper box above the row units is metered into the seed cup. Instead, seed flowing out of the opening at the bottom of a hopper box is metered by the seed metering unit, which is opened a set distance for a given seed size and seeding rate (Figure 3). Unlike the planters that are used for row crops, seed drills do not separate and drop seeds. Agitators in the bottom of native grass hopper boxes ensure that the fluffy appendages on the seed of some native prairie grasses do not keep the boxes from properly metering the correct rate. So, native grass boxes have agitators within the box that improves seed flow (Figure 2).įigure 2. ![]() Several of the native prairie grass species have fluffy appendages on their seed which interferes with seed flow through the bottom of the hopper. Some drills may also have a “native grass box,” which is a hopper box that is specially designed to handle native warm-season perennial grass species. The large hopper box would be used for planting crops that have medium to large seed sizes (e.g., cowpea, pearl millet, tall fescue), while the small hopper box would be used to plant small-seeded species (e.g., clovers, brassicas, crabgrass). Most drills designed for use on pastures will have large and small hopper boxes. Seed is held in the hopper boxes that sit on top of the drill. A conventional drill would have similar parts, but usually does not have the coulter assembly on the front of the drill. Schematic drawing of the typical parts on one row unit of a no-till drill. Therefore, conventional drills do not have the coulter assembly on the front. Conventional grain drills are used when the seedbed is already prepared and the coulter is not needed to cut through residue or the soil surface. On a no-till drill, the rolling coulter travels ahead of the opener and cuts a slot through the sod, residue, and soil, and then the double-disk opener widens this slot. These key features are identified in Figure 1. ![]() Each brand and model has design elements that differentiates it from other drills on the market, but most have several key features in common. There are many moving parts on a no-till or conventional drill.
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