Effect of the Sowing Speed on the Distribution Regularity of Maize Seeds
Wesley Nadin *
Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Pedro Silvério Xavier Pereira
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Onassis Henrique Simon Rondon
Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Matheus Farinha Afonso
Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Dryelle Sifuentes Pallaoro
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Elisangela Clarete Camili
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Antônio Renan Berchol da Silva
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This work aimed to evaluate the influence of the sowing speed on the regularity of longitudinal distribution of maize seeds through a pneumatic metering seeder. The experimentation of 4 sowing speeds (4, 6, 8 and 10 km h-1) was performed in randomized blocks design with four replicates. The parameters evaluated were the mean distance between plants, coefficient of variation of the distance between plants, percentage of acceptable, flawed and double spacings, precision index, plant stand, initial population, mean seed deposition depth, and coefficient of variation of the seed deposition depth. The increase in the operating speed linearly reduced the percentage of acceptable spacings, plant stand, initial population, and mean seed deposition depth. Conversely, it linearly increased the values of mean distance between plants, coefficient of variation of the distance between plants, percentage of double and flawed spacings, precision index, and coefficient of variation of the deposition depth. Therefore, the increase in the displacement speed of the tractor-seeder set reduced the regularity of the longitudinal distribution of the plants, as well as the sowing quality.
Keywords: Percentage of acceptable spacing, distance between plants, double spacing, flawed spacing, depth seeding.