Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

II SHRI RAM II ABSTRACT

India is widely known in the world for its agricultural activities. Farming is one of the important commercial businesses. Still in our country enough importance is not given to the improvements in the agricultural field. The traditional methods of farming are not able to satisfy all the need of the farmers effectively. The current growth in the agriculture sector is not very satisfactory as compared to other sectors. The farmers are much dependant on bullocks or tractors and are unable to bear up with its increasing cost. Hence we can see large number of suicide cases of farmers now days. Thus there is need to mechanize this sector with the least possible cost. This project attempts to introduce a modern technology that can be proved to be effective in seed sowing operation. It is observed that the conventional method requires bullock and skilled operator during peak season for sowing the seed in the right quantity at right distance. Thus, the necessity of skilled operator increases the overall cost of this operation. Hence we are developing a Low Cost Manually Operated Seed and Fertilizer Drill for Sorghum ; as in the Solapur district Rabi Sorghum is taken on the large scale. Sowing, planting and transplanting are basic and one of the most important farming operations. The placement of seed and fertilizer at proper depth in the soil and placement of fertilizer is very important as far as germination of seed is concerned. Here fertilizer should not be placed over the seed to avoid chemical injury to the seed which affects its germination. It is also essential to keep the plant population optimum in the field to have maximum yield. To achieve the maximum output, it is necessary to place seeds at desired spacing and depth by avoiding the wastage of the seeds by using it in right quantity. This seed and fertilizer drill attempts to fulfill the voids in the traditional methods of sowing operations by taking care of major variable factors.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Sorghum cultivation in India: Sorghum is the most important crop in Maharashtra occupying the highest area of 55 lakh hectares with 36 per cent of the total cropped area under cultivation. Sorghum is grown both in Kharif and Rabi seasons. There is more area in Rabi season (about 32 lakh hectares than in Kharif about 23 lakh hectares). Sorghum popularly known as Sorghum is the most important food and fodder crop of dry land agriculture. In India, sorghum is eaten by human either by breaking the grain and cooking it in the same way as rice or by grinding it into flour and preparing Bhakaries. Generally the colour of Sorghum grains is pearly white and very attractive Bhakari (Bread) prepared from Sorghum grains is very tasty and relished by rural people, particularly by the farming community. It is good for health also. Sorghum fodder is also nutritious and commonly fed to farm and dairy animals. This grain is also fed to cattle, poultry and swine. Sorghum grain contains about 10-12 per cent protein, 3 per cent fat and 70 per cent carbohydrates; therefore, it can satisfactorily replace other grains in the feeding programme for dairy cattle, poultry and swine. Its industrial use has tremendous scope. Cultivation of Sorghum is mainly concentrated in peninsular and central India. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (the Bundelkhand region) and Tamil Nadu are the major Sorghum-growing states. Other states grow sorghum in small areas primarily for fodder.

1) Season: Sorghum can be grown under a wide range of climatic conditions although ideally it requires warm climate. It is grown from sea level to as high as 1500 meters. Sorghum plants can tolerate high temperatures throughout their life cycle better than any other cereal crop. It can tolerate drought conditions very well because it remains dormant during moisture stress conditions but resumes growth when favorable conditions reappear. It has a low transpiration ratio and a large number of fibrous roots. It can also tolerate waterlogging conditions better than any other cereal except

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum rice. Therefore, sorghum can be grown successfully in areas having an average annual rainfall between 600 and 1000 mm. It is grown as a kharif crop in northern India. In western and southern parts of the country it is grown as a rabi crop. The minimum temperature for the germination of sorghum seeds is 7-10 Degree Celsius. It needs about 26-30 Degree Celsius temperature for its optimum growth. Sorghum is a short day plant. Flowering is hastened by short days and delayed by long days. The time of heading in sorghum is influenced by temperature as well as photo-period. Sorghum varieties vary in their sensitivity to both temperature and photo-period.

2) Soils: Sorghum is grown in a variety of soils in India. Soils with clay loam or loam texture, having good water retention capacity are best suited for sorghum cultivation. It does not thrive in sandy soils but does better on heavier soils. It does well in pH range of 6.0-8.5 as it tolerates considerable salinity and alkalinity. The black cotton soils of Central India are very good for its cultivation.

3) Cultivation: Sorghum seed should be drilled in a well prepared seedbed free from weeds. The first ploughing should be done with soil turning plough so that 20-25 centimeter deep soil may become loose. It should be followed by two to three harrowings or three to four inter-crossing ploughings with country plough. Thereafter planking should be done to break the clods and to level the field. In black cotton soil area, if the land is badly infected with weeds, ploughing followed by harrowings is usually practiced, but where land is free from weeds or with few weeds, the land is cultivated only with bakhar (blade harrow).The seed should be purchased from a reliable source. It is advisable to always use certified seed. If seed is not already treated, it should be treated with chemicals like Thiram or Agro-san G. N. at the rate of 3 gm per kg seed. In case of hybrids, new hybrid seeds should be used every year.

4) Sowing: 8-16 kg seed per hectare is considered sufficient to ensure a good stand. There should be 1,11,000 plants per hectare to attain maximum yield. The seed should be

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum sown in rows 45 centimeter apart. Plant to plant distance should be 20 centimeter. Seed should be sown at a depth of 3-4 centimeters. It should not be sown more than 5 centimeters deep in any case. In Northern India sorghum is sown either by broadcasting or in rows behind the plough. Seeds of new hybrids and varieties should always be sown in lines for obtaining higher yield. Sowing in rows is common in black cotton soil. In northern India sorghum is sown only in Kharif season. In irrigated areas, first week of July has been found most suitable for sowing of most hybrids, and improved varieties. Under un-irrigated conditions, sowing should be done preferably within one week of the onset of first monsoon showers. Timely planted crop escapes the damages due to shoot fly and midge. Late planting may not fit well in multiple rotations.Rabi sowing is done mainly in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Rabi sowing should be done from the second fortnight of September to the middle of October. Summer crop of sorghum is sown in the month of January and February in irrigated areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and some areas of Karnataka.

5) Fertilizer Management: As sorghum removes nutrients in heavy amount from the soil it requires heavy doses of fertilizers. Manure and fertilizers both play important roles in the sorghum cultivation. In the rain fed areas, application of farm yard manure or compost at the rate of 10 to 15 tones per hectare improves the water holding capacity and microbial activities in the soil, besides providing essential nutrients to the crop. Farm yard manure or compost should be added in the field at the time of last ploughing.The quantity of fertilizers to be applied varies according to the fertility status of the soil. However, when soil tests data are not available, apply 100-120 kg nitrogen, 50 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O per hectare for hybrids and improved varieties of sorghum under irrigated condition. Half dose of nitrogen and total amount of phosphorus and potash should be applied at the time of sowing. The basal dressing can be done with the help of fertilizer-cum-seed drill. The fertilizer should be placed 3-5 centimeter to the side and 3-5 centimeters below the seed. If ferti-seed drill is not available fertilizer mixture may be spread uniformly in the field and mixed thoroughly in the soil with the help of a harrow or cultivator. The remaining half quantity of nitrogen should be top dressed

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum after 30-35 days of sowing. In light soils top dressing should be done in two splits. Half of the above dose should be applied in case of local varieties for better results. In case of rain-fed crop, quantity of fertilizer should be reduced to half of the irrigated and the entire quantity should be applied 10 cm deep in soil at the time of sowing. Fertilizers are required where soils are deficient in plant food elements. When land is planted to crops over a long period of years, plant food elements are reduced and yields of crops are lowered. Sandy soils loose plant food elements rapidly because these are leached out by heavy rainfall or applications of irrigation water. Some clay soils in low rainfall areas lose plant food elements much more slowly than sandy soils. It is now recognized that higher yields can be expected from most soils in all areas if the right type of fertilizer is properly applied.

6) Thinning: In sorghum cultivation, thinning is very important operation for maintaining desired plant populations. 12-15 centimeter plant-to-plant spacing in a row by thinning out extra plants at two stages should be ensured. First, thinning should be done 10-15 days after emergence and second, when crop is 20-25 days old. All disease and insect infested plants should be removed while thinning.

7) Water Management: Usually, sorghum is grown as a rain fed crop. The irrigation should, however, be provided whenever, rains are not received. At the time of flowering and grain filling stages, the crop requires more water. If enough moisture is not there in the soil at the time of flowering and grain filling, it should be irrigated at once. At no stage, the plants should be allowed to wilt. Suitable drainage conditions should be provided for the removal of excess rainwater from the field.

8) Harvesting and Threshing: Most of the high yielding sorghum hybrids and varieties take about 100-115 days to mature. The crop should be harvested immediately after it is mature. The right stage for harvest is when grains have become hard having less than 25 per cent moisture. It is advised not to wait for stalks and leaves to dry because plants of hybrid

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum sorghum appear green even after the crop is mature. Harvesting is done by cutting the entire plant or removing the ear heads first and cutting down the plants later on. In the areas where there is danger of rain at the time of harvesting, the mature ear heads should be harvested first and plants cut and heaped later on. Threshing is done with the help of threshers or by beating the ear heads with sticks or by trampling bullocks. The threshed grain should be cleaned and dried in sun for about a week to bring the moisture content down to 13-15 per cent for safe storage.

1.2 Area under cultivation for Sorghum in India: -

STATE-WISE AREA, PRODUCTION AND YIELD OF SORGHUM

2003-04

STATE

AREA (M.HECTS)

% OF TOTAL AREA

YIELD PRODUCTION (M.TONNES) % OF TOTAL PRODUCTION (KGS/H ECT)

% COVERAGE UNDER IRRIGATION

1 ANDHRA PRADESH GUJARAT KARNATAKA MADHYA PRADESH

2 0.76 0.28 1.9 0.9

3 6.9 2.6 17.3 8.2

4 0.55 0.23 1.63 0.75

5 6.9 2.9 20.4 9.4

6 727 806 855 833

12 1.7 5.2 7.3 0.1

MAHARASHTRA
RAJASTHAN TAMIL NADU UTTAR PRADESH OTHERS ALL-INDIA

5.5
0.56 0.53 0.38 0.17 10.98

50.1
5.1 4.8 3.5 1.5 100

3.78
0.27 0.39 0.34 0.04 7.98

47.4
3.4 4.9 4.3 0.5 100

687
476 732 882 , 727

7.8
0.2 10.2 0.9 . 7.0

1.3 Varieties of Sorghum: - The different varieties of sorghum are as follows: -

Variety

No of seeds per pound

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Sooner milo Feterita Atlas sorgo Pink kafir Early kalo Early sumac

12600 15900 20900 22400 23200 33400

1.4 Past Trends: Broadcasting seeds over the broken soil and covering them with some type of harrow was the common method of planting until about 1840. It is used to sow grass, rice and other crops. In this method the seeds sown are not spread uniformly either over the field surface or in depth. This method is used where other methods are not applicable. E.g. - grains. William T. Pennock of East Marlboro, Pennsylvania, was the first to start manufacturing grain drills, although the first patent was granted to Eliakim in 1799. The earliest type of row-crop planter was perhaps a wooden peg with holes around the centre to permit seeds to drop out. Later on man realized the potential of animals for carrying out agricultural activities and then bullocks were primarily used for agricultural operations in order to increase the yield. It was possible to cover an area of 2.5 acres with use of a pair of bullocks.

1.5 Present Practices: Following are the different methods of sowing and planting adopted currently in agriculture practices-

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

1) Row sowing: Row sowing of grains, commercial crops ,vegetables and other plants is done in furrows with identical inter row spacing varying from 12 to 15 cm with an average seed spacing of 1.5 to 2 cm in the furrow. The shape of nutrient area of the plants is rectangle; the ratio of its sides varies from 1:6 to 1:10. e.g.-Vegetables and commercial crops. 2) Cross sowing: It is done by passing the seed drill in two mutually perpendicular directions. In such pass, half the seeds are sown. This type of sowing improves the uniform distribution of seeds over the crops. The inter row spacing is same as in row sowing and the minimum distance between the seeds is kept 3 to 4 cm. e.g. - Grains, vegetables, commercial crops. 3) Narrow row sowing: It is in contrast to row sowing and is done with a smaller inter row spacing, that is, from 5 to 8 cm. For such sowing, the shape of the nutrient area is close to square, which enhances the yield. It becomes most effective when the rate of seed sowing is increased by 10 to 15 % over that of row sowing. e.g. - Vegetables. 4) Wide row sowing: It is mainly used for growing row crops and to plant tubers, bulbs and seedlings. Depending upon the type of crop, the soil the climatic conditions as well as technical and economical factors, inter row spacing is 30 to 100 cm.

5) Strip sowing:

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum It is a variation of wide row sowing. In this method several rows are sown close to each other (15cm).These rows form a strip. The spacing between such strips of several rows is greater than 45 cm that between individual rows. 6) Single grain sowing: It is used for sowing the sugar beet. Here the seeds are distributed in the rows at equal intervals from each other; this prevents their crowding and bunching, reduces the quantity of seeds used and decreases the expenditure involved in raising the plants. 7) Hill drop sowing: It differs from the wide row sowing in that in this method the seeds are not planted individually but severally in a cluster. All efforts are made to keep equal spacing between clusters in a row (15 to 25 cm) and between rows (30 to 100 cm). e.g.: - corn. Sunflower, cotton. 8) Square and square hill drop sowing: This method of planting tubers and seedlings provides an optimal nourishment area for the plants. This rectilinearity of the rows in two directions perpendicular to each other facilitates mechanization of soil working in the inter-rows in both directions; this greatly reduces the labor in raising the plants since the efforts can be mechanized to great extent. 9) Random sowing: This method of sowing is used to sow seeds in a wide strip of 90 cm or more; this helps to obtain uniform spread of seeds over a field.

1.6 Proposed project work: -

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum The major focus of the project is to minimize the cost of sowing operation. The dependency on the bullocks is to be completely eliminated because there is severe scarcity of bullocks in peak seasons. Moreover the cost of various agricultural equipments is also increasing at an alarming rate. Hence, a low cost, single person driven handy machinery is developed. The use of the indexing mechanism in agricultural machinery for a human operated machine is an innovative concept applied in this vast sector of agriculture. This has significantly reduced the quantity of seeds as well as fertilizers. A single person can easily operate this seed-sowing machine. It consists of bucket with two compartments. One for fertilizer and other for seeds. The compartment of fertilizer is larger than that of seeds (i.e. 3 kg of seeds capacity and 6 kg of fertilizers). The bevel gear transmits power from wheels to the indexing plate, which has slots for seeds as well as fertilizers. Accordingly, seeds and fertilizers are carried along the pipes, which are connected to furrow opener at the bottom. The furrow opener helps in loosening of the soil. The seeds should be placed at or sowed at 20 cm from each other along with depth up to 2.5cm in soil. The chain placed below mechanism helps in covering the seeds and fertilizers by soil. Approximately 0.3 to 0.4 hectares (ha) of land can be covered in single working day of 8 hours of operation with speed of machine about 1.5 kmph.

2.1 Development of Machines for Sowing

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Earlier majority of the operations were performed manually. It required large time and much human effort. Then man began to harness animals to fulfill hid agricultural requirements by using animals. This saved his time and increased the yield. Later, the use of tractors increased on large scale and it increased the agricultural productivity substantially.

Structural Design for tractors: The sowing machine is semi-mounted, aggregated into the tractor arms complete with braking transport axle. The axle is fitted with wide wheels having very low soil pressure. The axle location allows for full use of the tractors small scrub radius (minimization of time losses when turning at headland). With folding side frames the machine will not exceed 3 m width when in the transport position. The base of the sowing machine is its share frame comprising of three rows of arrow (duck-foot) shares. While in its operating position the machine moves along rubber rollers that enable fair contouring & deep guiding of the shares even on uneven land. There is a massive bed bearer fitted in front of the face roller to level the land & to crush big clods of earth. The aforementioned rubber roller and arrow shares carry out further soil cultivation (stiffening, earth breaking) along with preparing a seedbed. Seed is laid behind the shares under a stream of cut soil. Then harrowing in with harrow-in equipment follows. You can control the height (pressure) of the harrow-in equipment and the slope. The surface soil is then firmed by a rear rubber roller. The roller adjustment can be changed via the tensioners to accommodate the working depth. Each tensioner has been equipped with a scale to ensure simple & exact adjustment. When in the operating position the machine moves along the rollers freely contouring the soil surface in lateral & longitudinal planes. The Machine is fitted with a spacious seed hopper of ca 2.50 m filling height. The Seed-metering device has electronic control of seeding amounts when in use. The sowing machine is equipped with electronic monitoring & control systems. For the maximum operating efficiency the control panel is inside the tractor cab offering comfortable control of all the machines functions.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Electronic systems enable the following:

Formation of track rows & their marking via an hydraulic-controlled marker Seeding amount control upon work ride performance Additional fertilizing control and monitoring Control of all the machines hydraulic functions Semi-automatic control of the hydraulic functions normally applied when in operation (marker control, machine lifting)

The Electronic system offers maximum comfort for operators along with high operating performance (shorter time required for turning at the headlands, etc.) Electronic system monitors the following:

Fan speed Seeds passing through seed tubes Number of hectares actually worked Seed level in the hopper

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Additional Fertilization: The machine has the option to be equipped with liquid fertilizer fixed underneath. The system consists of a tank with overhead or bottom fillings, filter, pump, control system, manifold complete with safety drip valves, and of special shares with blades fitted with sintered carbide tips. On the EXCELENT 6, 8 & 9 machines the system is electronically controlled as per a set dose. The operator can alter the dose from the cab while driving. The fertilizer dosage is fed into a furrow formed by the share blade 4 cm below the seed level. The seed is embed along the furrow sides to form strips. The share blades make a furrow 15 mm wide, so as to accomplish accurate shaping of the furrow with low energy demands. Application Options:

Seeding straight into uncultivated soil Seeding into shallow loosened soil Seeding into deeply loosened soil Seeding into ploughed land

Direct sowing

Sowing in the stubble ploughed under or in cultivated soil

Sowing after ploughing

Major Technological Advantages: -

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

While in the operating position the machine moves along the rollers - even when the stiffening of the soil across the entire engagement width, the machine does not sink even when in deeply loosened (ploughed) soils, with its weight distributed (60% on front roller, 40% on rear roller) has a lower weight on the rollers compared to rival manufacturers.

Land stiffening - soil gets stiffened appropriately - compacted, optimal conditions created for soil water capillary rise towards the seed, disintegration of clods due to resilient deformation of special rubber segments when rolling aside.

Rollers do not get clogged with wet soil - the special rubber segments are self-cleaning so no soil clogging occurs when the ground is sticky. Seedbed - soil stiffened by thee front roller gets cut with seed share, the seed is embedded on the solid bed and then covered by loose soil, a harrow levels the surface while fine soil gets to the seed with clods remaining on the soil surface, the rear roller flattens the surface with soil the remaining porous.

Soil cultivation while sowing - the soil gets cultivated within the depth of drilling, weed killing Perfect soil surface leveling - with the machine in operation a perfect plane is created, minor unevenness are leveled without affecting the accuracy of the drilling depth. This is very important for instance when sowing Soya that requires absolutely flat land.

Clod breaking and major leveling - the front skid levels larger troughs, and together with the front roller breaks the clods properly. Sowing shares then operate at an exact depth with the seed embedded on the seedbed created. The EXCELENT is therefore capable of carrying out high quality sowing even in poorly cultivated land.

Arbitrary depth of presowing soil loosening - The EXCELENT is capable of operating in shallow loosened soils as well as in deeply loosened or ploughed land with no land packing required. Seedbeds can always be made complete with precise depths of drilling. Soil conditions may alter even with the same piece of land, the depth of drilling precisely controlled.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Application within all technologies - general purpose machine designed for companies using various land cultivation technologies. Accurate guide of the shares - sowing shares are guided firmly within a precise depth, no oscillation occurs. Ideal when seeding at small depth (1 - 2 cm).

Sowing of all kinds of crops - sowing of cereals, legumes, oil bearing crops, clovers, grasses, corn (broadways or in rows 75 cm no accurate sowing is involved). Depth of drilling 0 - 10 cm.

High lifetime of shares - shares made of hardened boron steel of high quality, additional fertilizing shares fitted with sintered carbide tips. Low energy demand - very low relative energy demand compared to the number of operations the machine is able to carry out. Wide range of operating speed (8 - 15 k.m.p.h.) - the machine operates trouble-free from 8 kmph. which guarantees low energy consumption with the possibility of adapting operating speed to land conditions.

Variation in seeding shares - you can opt between wide (all-area cultivation) or narrow shares (row cultivation).

Additional fertilizing available - use the additional fertilizing system to apply liquid fertilizer to so called under bottom in the course of seeding

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum 2.2 Planting Equipments The art of placing the seed in soil to obtain good germination and stands without having to replant is the goal of all who grow crops. There are number of factors that influence the germination of the seeds and the emergence of seedling plants. These are: Quality of seed planted, Viability of the seed, Treatment of the seed with chemicals to kill some microorganisms, Uniformity of seed size, Planting depth, Type of soil, Moisture content of the soil, Type of the seed dropping mechanism, Uniformity of the distribution of the seed, Type of furrow opener, Prevention of loose soil getting under the seed, Uniformity of coverage, Type of covering device, Degree of pressing and firming of the soil around the seed, Cleanliness and condition of the seed bed, Time of planting in relation to the season, Temperature of the soil, The good judgment, skill, and attention of the operator History of Planter Development: Broadcasting seeds over the broken soil and covering them with some type of harrow was the common method of planting until about 1840. Willium T. Pennock of East Marlboro, Pennsylvania, was the first to start manufacturing grain drills, although the first patent was granted to Eliakim in 1799. The earliest type of row-crop planter was perhaps a wooden keg with holes around the centre to permit seeds to drop out.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Classification of Planting Equipments: Planting equipment is here considered to be any power operated device used to place seeds, seed pieces or plant parts in or on the soil for propagation and production of food, fiber and feed crops. It is classified as follows. Row crop planters Trailing Drill Hill-drop Narrow-row Rear tractor mounted Drill Hill-drop Transplanter or plant setters Broadcast crop planters End gate seeders Narrow and wide track and weeder mulcher Airplanes Grain drills Planting attachments for other equipment 1) Row crop planters: Planters designed and developed to plant seeds in rows far enough apart to permit cultivation of the crop are termed row-crop planter. Many row-crop planter are designed to plant seeds of only one certain crop, while others can be adapted to plant more than one crop by means of interchangeable hoppers, agitators, plates, and the speed control mechanism of the seed metering parts. Generally row crop planters can be divided into 5 classes, named according to the kind of crop the planter is specially designed to plant. The classes are corn, cotton, sorghum, vegetable, beet and potato. Equipment for placing growing plants or plant parts in the soil is called as transplanter.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum 2) Sorghum, pea and peanut planter: The eminent scientist Hurlbut found that more satisfactory seeding rates were obtained by using plates made especially for sorghum rather than by attempting to use a regular or revamped corn plate. He also found that the lower part of the plate seed hole should be taper-reamed to prevent sorghum seeds sticking in the hole and clogging it. A 15 bevel of the seed hole on the upper side helped to prevent the seeds from wedging between the sharp edge of the hole and the cutoff. The number of seeds per pound varies with different varieties of sorghum. 3) Grain Drills: The grain drill is a machine designed and built to place the seeds of small grains and grasses in the ground inch & narrow rows spaced at 6 to 8 in 15.2cm apart a uniform depth. The principal parts are the main frame, transport and drive wheels, a box for the seed, a device meter the seed out of the hopper in uniform quantities, furrow openers to open the furrows for the seeds and covering devices. Grain drills are classified as plain drills and fertilizer drills. A plain drill has a hopper and feeds for the drilling of seeds only, while the fertilizer drill has a large seed box which is divided lengthwise into two compartments one for seed and other for fertilizer. Some drills are provided with grass seed attachments. The fluted force feed and the double run feed are used on both the plain and fertilizer drills.

2.3 Soil & Seed Bed Preparation

Soil Preparation: If at all possible, use existing soil as the primary source to fill the beds. If your garden site is elevated and blessed with good quality soil, consider scraping off an appropriate amount of top soil during site preparation and setting it aside. This procedure is recommended only for sites located on high ground. The depression created will be prone to flooding unless water can be channeled off the site. The same scenario occurs when soil located in pathways between the beds is removed and used to fill the beds. A heavy rain will fill the lowered pathways, turning them into quagmires. Unless the water can be channeled away from the plot to a lower area, the problem will remain.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum The ideal soil for your beds is a loam. Loam soils contain varying amounts of sand, silt and clay. Most gardeners prefer a sandy loam because of its favorable drainage characteristics and ease of tilt. By design, raised beds are endowed with superior drainage characteristics. Consequently, they can utilize a broad spectrum of soil types and be effective. Clay loam soils, often unacceptable on certain sites, can work quite nicely in raised beds if amended with sand and organic matter. In situations where existing soil quality, quantity, or site topography is inadequate, an alternative source of fill will be needed. Ask to examine any sample of fill you are considering purchasing. Spend a few dollars to have the soil tested for salt content and texture in addition to nutrient content. For best results, consider amending the fill soil with additional materials. Several types of amended soil mixes can be used. The most popular combination is equal parts soil, organic matter (such as compost, peat moss, etc.), and sand. If the soil is coarse, or sandy, side, eliminate the sand and increase the organic fraction. Avoid using sand exclusively or in combination with only organic matter. Sand, even with copious amounts of added organic matter, tends to excessively drain, making it prone to nutrient leaching. If you are working with large numbers of beds, the amount of organic matter recommended might be cost prohibitive. Don't worry. Simply use the amount you can justify. With continued applications of organic matter, the tilt, water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil will be improved over time. Calculate the amount of fill required by determining the total volume of your beds. Multiplying width times depth times length will give volume. As an example, the volume of a 3.33-foot wide (40 inches) bed times 1/2-foot deep (6 inches) times 30 feet long is equal to 50 cubic feet or approximately two cubic yards (27 cubic feet/cubic yard). If you constructed 10 of these beds, you would need to order 20 yards of fill. Do not consider volume of organic matter in your calculations, as it compresses easily and once mixed with soil, doesn't displace much volume. Begin the soil preparation process by spading or tilling the existing soil as deep as is feasible. Tilling a tight clay soil to a depth of 6 inches can be quite a chore, requiring

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum several passes of the rototiller. If you've got a strong back and are not opposed to hard work, consider turning the soil with a fork or spade. Turning the soil prior to tilling makes the tilling process much easier. If the site was thoroughly worked during site preparation, this process of loosening the subsoil prior to adding fill will proceed better. Don't disturb the soil when it's wet. If soil won't dislodge easily from your spade while digging, you shouldn't be working the soil. Serious damage to soil structure can occur when working with soil that is too wet, especially with clay soils. Be sure and mix a small amount of fill with the existing soil prior to adding the remaining fill. This will help to avoid the problems that can arise from having two different soil layers. Plan on incorporating about 2 inches of fill into the existing soil. Don't attempt to uniformly blend a full bed of soil, compost and sand with one pass of the tiller. Rather, spread an inch layer of organic matter, an inch of sand or soil, etc. Till until thoroughly mixed and repeat the process until the bed is full. The growing mix will settle over time, so don't be afraid to overfill the beds. If you plan to use plastic mulch over the beds, you'll want to prepare enough mix to form a nice crown on the bed. A crowned bed is essential to insuring a tight fit of the plastic to the soil surface. During the mixing process, some of the mix will spill over into the pathways. Be sure and utilize this fallout to insure a crowned bed. Once you've filled a bed, you'll have a better idea of how much material to add to produce the crown you want. If you use quite a bit of composted manure in your growing mix, plan on having the finished product tested for salt content. Manure is high in soluble salts, which act to inhibit water uptake by plants, causing wilting and even foliar burn in extreme cases. If salts are present in excess, a thorough watering to leach excess salts from the soil mix is recommended. A good soaking rain will suffice. This practice is especially important if you plan on using plastic mulch as the beds become "leach-proof" once the mulch is applied.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Seed Bed Preparation: A good seedbed needs to be prepared prior to planting. Based on a soil test report, evenly apply fertilizer to beds and incorporate with a rototiller. In the absence of a soil test, apply a complete fertilizer such as 13-13-13 at the rate of 1 pound /100 square feet. Replace any of the mix displaced during tilling. Then smooth the soil surface using a garden rake. When preparing crowned beds, use a garden rake to work soil towards the middle of the beds to form a high crown down the center. Gently lower the crown by working the soil back towards the edges, forming a uniformly curved surface crowned a few inches in the middle. (Note: Before proceeding with seed bed preparation, you'll need to install drip irrigation if you plan to use plastic mulch. Refer to the following chapter for details.) Next, firm the soil surface. This can be done one of two ways. A commonly practiced method is to thoroughly soak the beds. If the surface has dried before you start watering, it might shed water. If this is the situation, apply several light sprinklings until the surface is sufficiently moist to break the surface tension. Once the surface tension is broken, you can water the beds heavily. An even better way to firm the soil surface is to use a turf roller. A couple of trips over the beds using the roller create a smooth, firm seed bed. Normally there is no need to fill the roller with water. Most turf rollers are heavy enough empty to do a good job for this particular purpose. Test bed firmness by gently pressing on the surface with an open hand. If no depression is created, you're ready to proceed to the next step.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

3.1 Concept of Combining Seed Sowing and Fertilizing

As far as traditional methods are considered the sowing and the dropping the fertilizer operations are carried out separately. This unnecessarily consumes more time causing ultimate reduction in the yield. Also the requirement is that the seed and fertilizer should be nearly 2 cm offset to each other, so as to avoid the chemical injury to the seed, which is not exactly possible with the conventional methods. By developing the concept of combining sowing and fertilizing in a single operation, much of the time is saved and the purpose of the dropping of fertilizer as per the requirement is also fulfilled. The required depth of the seed to be sown is achieved by modifying the outlet opening of the seed tube that is both these outlets are spaced in such a way that the distance between these two openings is maintained at an offset of 2 cm.

3.2 General Components of Seed Drill: The major component of the seed drill or fertilizer drill and their functions are as-

1) Hopper:
The hopper contains seed and fertilizer. The metering unit is attached to the hopper. There may be individual hopper for seed and fertilizer or a common hopper may have compartments for seed and fertilizer. In same planters individual seed and fertilizer hoppers are provided for each row.

2) Furrow opener:
It is the soil working component of a seed drill / planter that penetrates the soil and a furrow is opened in which the seeds and fertilizer are placed. Seed beet and fertilizer beet are attached behind the furrow opener to which the seed and fertilizer tubes are connected. They help in proper placement of seed and fertilizer in the soil. The role of the furrow openers is very important in a seed, fertilizer drill so far as placement of seed and fertilizer in the soil is concerned. The seed should be placed in moist soil and covered for proper germinations. Fertilizers may be placed:

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum 1) Agitator with adjustable gate. 2) Fluted roller 3) Roller with cells--Vertical roller or plate with cells. --Horizontal plates with cells. --Inclined plate with cells. 4) Cup feed type metering. 5) Pneumatic metering system-

3) Seed and Fertilizer tubes:

Seed and fertilizer tubes carry the seeds and fertilizer from the metering units to the furrow opener. They may be simple transparent plastic/ polythene tubes or flexible metallic tubes. The former is preferred because of low cost and visibility of seeds and fertilizer dropping through them.

4) Metering unit:
It is the functional unit in a seeding machine which determines and drops the desired amount of seed and fertilizer in the field.

5) Ground Drive Wheel:

As the name suggests the ground drive wheel drive power from the ground for transmitting power to the metering unit.

6) Power Transmission system:

The power from the ground wheel is transmitted to the metering unit through the transmission system. It may be a chain and sprocket system, gear system, belt drive, crank mechanism or a combination of two or more of the above system.

7) Power cut-off system:

The power to the metering system may be disconnected by the power cut-off system. It may be simple dog clutch, jaw clutch, locking pin or by lifting the ground

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum wheel from soil. During transport, turning at the need land or idle running the power is cut-off from the ground drive wheel so that seed and fertilizer do not fall through the metering unit.

8) Agitator with Adjustable Gate

Agitators over an adjustable gate or opening provide simple metering system for seed and fertilizer. It is inexpensive device and widely used for fertilizer seed distribution pattern by an agitator system is not of good uniformity. However for close growing crop this system may be suitable. The agitator is usually a circular disc of rubber-impregnated canvas, for seeds and metal for fertilizer. The weight may be of diamond shape with one fixed diamond and one sliding diamond gate so to provide an adjustable opening size to vary the seed or fertilizer rate. A rate with caries of holes of different sizes may also be provided for varying the seed or fertilizer rates.

9) Fluted Roller
Fluted rollers are widely used for metering seeds and many seed drills are provided with fluted roller type metering system. The flutes exposed to meter the seeds can be varied for varying the seed rate. The distribution pattern of seeds is quite uniform by a fluted roller and the system is quite suitable for metering the close growing crops. The fluted rollers are mostly made from aluminum and their specifications have been standardized. Fluted rollers are also suitable for metering granular fertilizers.

10) Roller with cells

Rollers with cells are suitable for dropping seeds one by one. Thus seed to seed distance in the field can be maintained. This system is suitable for planting of seeds like maize, pea, sorghum, groundnut etc. In this system the rollers have to be changed for different crops. The cells sizes in the rollers for in hand are separated from the seeds. Following are some of the commonly seed furrow openers used with seed fertilizer drills.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Sr.No 1)

Furrow Openers Shovels

Sub types a) Reversible shovels b) Single point shovel c) Spear point shovel

2) 3)

Shoe type furrow openers Disc type furrow openers

a) Single disc type with concave discs, with or without notches b) Double disc type

4)

Runner type furrow openers

The shovels are widely used in light soils of sandy soils, loam and sandy loam soils. In case of reversible shovels, when one point is worn out it can be reversed so that the other point is in working position. The single point shovel is replaced by a new one when the point is worn out. The spare point shovels provide wider furrow during operation. Shoe type furrow opener is especially suitable for heavy soils e.g. clay and clay loam soils. They may dig deep into the soil and can easily penetrate the hard soils. By changing the angle of penetration, the depth of cut can be changed in case of shoe type furrow openers. The disc offers least soil resistance during operation, hence machines with large number of rows are provided with disc type furrow openers. But their cost is the maximum, as a result in this country; drilling machines are rarely provided with disc type of furrow opener. The runner type of furrow opener is suitable if the depth of placement of seeds required is low. In case of obstruction they tend to run over it so they may be used in stony soils.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

11) Metering System

The most important functional component of a seed cum fertilizer drill is its metering system. The function of the metering is to drop the desired amount of seed and fertilizer in the field with uniform distribution pattern. The important and commonly used metering systems are: Different crop systems are different according to seed size. The rollers may be made from wood, plastic, aluminum or other metal. The rollers with cells or the vertical plates with cells are often used for planting of widely spaced crop seeds. The horizontal plates with cells are used in same seed fertilizer drills. The inclined plate with cells is a very good metering system for drilling and planting of seeds.

-- Cup Feed Metering In thus type of metering, a number of spoons are fitted over a disc which picks up seeds from the hopper while rotating. The size of the spoons is varied for different seeds. The seeds picked up by spoons are dropped through funnel to reach to the furrow opener. Cup feed type metering provide uniform seed distribution pattern and is suitable for drilling and planting of seeds. -- Pneumatic Metering System In pneumatic metering system, the seeds are picked up by suction through orifice/nozzle one by one and dropped through an outlet part when the suction is cutoff. A suction pump is employed for the purpose, which may be driven by tractor or by a small engine. The metering system is very accurate and seed are picked up one by one. The system is suitable for drilling and planting of small and bold seeds. Precision drills and planters employ this metering system.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

3.3 Calibration of Seed Drill:A seed cum fertilizer drill is adjusted for desired seed and fertilizer rates in the laboratory before it is taken to the field, which is known as calibration of a seed drill. The procedure of calibration is as follows: 1) Theoretical calculation is made to know how much seed or fertilizer should drop for 50 revolutions (or known number of revolutions) of the ground drive wheel at the desired seed. 2) Seed and fertilizer hoppers are filled with the desired seed and fertilizer and sampling bags are tied with each seed/fertilizer tubes. 3) The machine is lifted up so that ground drive wheel is above ground drive wheel is above ground and is free to rotate. 4) The ground drive wheel is manually rotated for 50 revolutions in the forward direction with a speed of approximately that of the operating speed of the machine disc on the field. 5) The individual samples are weighed and the weight of total sample is also noted. 6) If the calculated value as at Sr.No 1 matches the value at Sr.No 5 then the machine is calibrated for the particular seed. If the observed value is less than calculated then discharge rate is increased and the process is repeated until the two value matches. Thus it is a trial and error method.

Calculations:
Say, No. of rows in the machine = N; Desired row spacing = W cm; Desired seed/fertilizer rate = R kg/ha; Diameter of ground drive wheel = D cm; Weight of seed/fertilizer for 50 revolutions of ground drive wheel = w g(Total of all rows); Working width of the machine = (N W)/100 m; Distance moved for one revolution of the ground drive wheel = D cm; Distance traveled for 50 revolutions of the round drive wheel = (50 D)/100 m;

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

Area covered for 50 revolutions of the ground drive wheel of the machine = (50 D N W)/ (100 100) m2 ;

Desired seed rate = (R 1000)/10000 g/m2; Amount of seed that should drop in the field for 50 revolutions of the ground drive wheel = (A R 1000)/10000 g; Now, (50 N W R)/100000 = (D N W R)/2000. If the calculated value as at Sr.No.1 is equal to the observed value W at Sr.No. 5 then the machine is calibrated.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

3.4 Major Components of the Human Operated seed & Fertilizer Drill
1) FrameThe frame is usually made of steel angle, well braced and reinforced at the corners. It is necessary that the frame should be strong enough to prevent sagging and to hold the parts in alignment, as all parts are connected to the frame. The axle is carried beneath, with the wheels on each end of it. The seed box is carried above while the furrow openers are suspended below. Roller bearings are usually used on each end of the axle. 2) WheelsMost grain drills are equipped with rubber tubeless tyred wheels. These wheels are placed on the main axle of the drill. When smaller rubber tired wheels are used on this equipment, they are placed on stub jackshaft to elevate the drill to its regular height, so that the same drawbars and pressure rods and springs can be used with either type of wheels. The implement tire size for grain drills is usually 6.715. The operators manual should be studied to determine if a correction factor should be used in setting the seedling rate. 3) Bucket: Bucket holds the seed and fertilizer. It is having two compartmentsA) Seed CompartmentIt should have a large capacity. A tight fitting lid should be provided to keep out rain. It is having a capacity of 4 Kg. B) Fertilizer CompartmentIt is having a capacity of 7 Kg. It is provided with stirrer for agitation or loosening of the fertilizer. The power is given to the stirrer through bevel gear mechanism from the driving wheels of the machine. 4) Indexing Plate: ( moving plate) Indexing plate serves the purpose for the dropping of seed and fertilizer. It is made up of Bakelite (Hylem) material. Use of this material reduces the friction between moving plate and fixed plate.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum 5) Bevel Gears: Bevel gears are used for transmission of the power from wheels to the indexing plate. The bevel gears are having the module 2.5 and velocity ratio as unity. The bevel gear shaft is extended and serves the purpose of agitator which loosens the fertilizer. 6) Furrow Opener: Furrow opener is at the centre of the machine is the medium through which the seed and fertilizer drops. It is made up of cast iron. It first loosens the soil by going into required depth after which actual sowing and fertilizing is carried out. 7) Fixed Plate: Fixed plate is rectangular plate of M.S. and placed at the bottom of the bucket. It is fixed to the frame of the machine.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

DESIGN OF COMPONENTS 4.1) Design of Indexing PlateDiameter of the wheel = 508 mm Circumference of the wheel = D = 1600 mm. i.e.; in 1 complete revolution linear distance covered by the machine will be 1600 mm. Since seeds are at a distance of 200 mm apart, No of holes on indexing plate = (160/20) = 8 i.e.; 8 holes are placed at (360/8) = 45 apart from each other on moving indexing plate. Diameter of indexing plate is taken as 220 mm. Hence at a radius of 40 mm from the center 8 holes are drilled for fertilizer & at a radius of 90 mm from the centre 8 holes are drilled for seeds. The diameter of Sorghum seed is approx. 1.5 mm. Hence, in order to drop 2 seeds the diameter is taken to be 4 mm & the hole diameter for fertilizer is 8 mm.

4.2) Design of Bevel GearsCalculation of power required: Speed of Pinion = Speed of gear= 11 rpm. Teeth on pinion= Teeth on gear= 20 Intersecting angle between shafts=90 Hardness of Gear pair= 230 BHN Effort required for single row human operated seed sowing machine is 200N. Material selected for gear pair is C.I. having allowable static strength as 260 N/mm. Pitch angle for pinion=p= tan1) 1/V.R.) = tan1) 1) = 45 Pitch angle for gear= g= 90- p Pitch angle for gear= 45

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum We have, Power = Force Velocity =200 r =200 0.254 (211)/60 Power =58.51 Watt Formative number of teeth on pinion or gear Zp= Zg= (Zp/cosp) or (Zg/cosg) = (20/cos45) = 28.28 We also have, Mean pitch Diameter dmp= (ID+OD)/2 = (28+50)/2 = 39 mm.

rmp= 19.5 mm
Hence, rmp= [dp-(bsin45)]/2

dp = 39+(16sin45)
Pitch Circle Diameter = 50.31 mm But, dp =mZp 50.31 = m20 m= 2.5 mm. Module of Gear = 2.5 mm. Lewis form factor y considering 20 full depth involute tooth system. yp= [0.484-(2.87/Zp)] = [0.484-(2.87/28.28)] yp = 0.3825 Since gear pairs are made of same material hence pinion is weaker than gear. So our design is based on pinion.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum We have Lewis Beam Strength Equation as Sb= mbbyp0.67 =2.51686.670.38250.67 Sb= 883.9 N Now, Sw= (bQdpK0.75/ cosp) = (16150.31K0.75/cos 45) But K for C.I gear pair is taken as K= 0.21 (BHN/100) ^2 = 0.21 (230/100) ^2 K=1.1109 Hence, Sw= (16150.311.11090.75/cos 45) Sw= 942.63 N Since, Sb<Sw so pinion is weaker in bending. Hence we have to design the pinion against bending failure. Now, We have, Sb= Pteff F.S But, Pteff= (CsPt/Cv) Pt= 200N Cs=1.25 & Cv= [6/(6+V)] = 0.955 Hence, Pteff= (1.25200/0.955) Pteff= 261.67 N, Sb= 261.67F.S 883.9= 261.67F.S F.S= 3.37 Since desired Factor of Safety (F.S) is greater than assumed one, Hence our design is safe.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

4.3) Design of Shaft: Pr Pt Pa

120 mm 300 mm

Torque exerted by shaft is given by T= P/ = [58.5160/(211)] T = 50780 N-mm We have, Mean velocity=(0.50211)/60 = 0.289 m/s Tangential Force =Pt =P/Vm Pt = 208.96 N Radial Force= Pr = Pttancosp = 208.96 tan20cos45 Pr = 53.78 N Axial Force = Pa = Pttansinp = 208.96tan 20sin45 Pa = 53.78 N Forces on pinion: Tangential Force Pt = 208.96 N Radial Force Pr = 53.78 N Axial Force Pa = 53.78 N

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum For designing the shaft we have to consider the two planes namely as horizontal and vertical plane. Horizontal Plane: Pr Pa 19.5 mm Ra1 A Ra2 C 120 mm 300 mm C 4291.2 N-mm D 3241.8 N-mm B Rb2

A BENDING MOMENT DIAGRAM

Taking moment about A, Pr120= Pa19.5 + Rb2300 53.78120=3.7819.5 + Rb2300 Rb2 = 18.01 N Now, taking summation of all vertical components equal to zero. Pr = Ra2 + Rb2 53.78 = Ra2 +18.01 Ra2 = 35.76 N Now, taking summation of all horizontal components equal to zero. Pa = Ra1 = 53.78 N Bending moment at C =35.76 120= 4291.8 N-mm & also Bending moment at C = 18.01 180= 3241.8 N-mm

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Vertical Plane: -

Pt A 120 mm Ra1 300 mm C 15475.2 N-mm Rb1 C B

A BENDING MOMENT DIAGRAM Taking moment about A, Pt120= Rb1300 208.96120= Rb1300 Rb1 = 80 N

Now, taking summation of all vertical components equal to zero. Pt = Ra1 + Rb1 208.96 = Ra1 + 80 Ra1 = 128.96 N Bending moment at C = 128.96 120= 15475.2 N-mm Equivalent bending moment can be obtained by Me = Square root of (50780 + 15475.2) Me = 53085.69 N-mm Hence, Equivalent Bending Moment = 53085.69 N-mm. Now, Equivalent torque is given by Te = Square root of (M + T) = Square root of (53085.69 + 50780) Te = 73462.27 N-mm

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Hence, Equivalent torque = 73462.27 N-mm But, Te = (Fsd)/16 Where, Fs = Maximum Permissible Shear Stress & d = Diameter of the shaft For the shaft without keyway allowance, the Maximum Permissible Shear Stress is 56 N/mm. Te = (Fsd)/16 = (56d)/16 = 73462.27 N.mm d = 17.83 mm ~ 18 mm Hence, Diameter of Shaft = 18 mm

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum MANUFACTURING ASPECTS OF SEED CUM FERTILIZER DRILL

Sr. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Subassembly Main frame Fixed Plate Stirrer shaft with pin Furrow opener Seed tubes Bush bearing Gripper Indexing plate Bevel gear

Name of part --1.Shaft 2. Pins -----1.Gear Pair 2.Pinion Shaft 1. Rim 2. Tubeless Tyres ---

Dimension (mm) 300350 25302 20 40 32040 30 SKF 6205 19 220 Drg No-06 Drg No-07 508 300 & 4 460

Materials M.S. M.S. M.S. M.S. C.I. Plastic Brass Rubber Bakelite C.I. M.S. M.S. Rubber M.S. C.I.

Qty 8 Kg 1 1 5 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1

Cost Rs.

Manufacturing methods Welding Casting Turning -Welding -Turning --

2230

270 280 915 45 145 4135

Std component Milling/ hobbing Turning Milling ---

10 11 12

Wheel Stand Chain

1 TOTAL

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

6.1 Field trials of machine: Date: - 7-4-07 Location: - Londhe Farm, Kondi, Solapur. Soil type: - Medium soil Soil Depth: - 40-50 cm Row Spacing: - 45 cm Moisture content: - 24% 1) Plot area=58 m 2) Average depth of sowing= 5.5 cm 3) Required depth of sowing= 6-7 cm 4) Speed of operation= 0.28 m/s = 1 Kmph 5) Duration of test= 0.33 hrs 6) Seed rate obtained= 58m of land consumed 1015 seeds Assuming 1 kg contains approximately 16000 seeds Hence 63 gms corresponds to 1015 seeds Hence 63 gms of seeds are required for 58m of land. 1 acre= 4000m 1 hectare = 10000 m For 1 hectare land 10.5 Kg of seeds are required. 7) Required seed rate= 10 kg per hectare 8) Fertilizer applied 58m of land consumes 906.25 gms of fertilizer For 1 acre land 64 Kg of fertilizer is required. Hence Fertilizer applied per hectare= 160 Kg. 9) Required fertilizer applied= 264 kg per hectare 10) Effective field capacity(ha/hr) Time of start= 6 PM Time of stop= 6:20 PM Area covered= 58 m 58m of land requires 8.86 min for sowing.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum Hence for 392.7 m of land takes 1 hour. So for 1 acre 10.3 hrs are required for sowing. Land covered in one day of 8 working hrs= 0.78 acres =0.312 hectares 11) Theoretical Field Capacity= 0.56 hectares per day 12) Field Efficiency= (Effective Field Capacity/ Theoretical Field Capacity) 100 = (0.312/0.56) 100 Field Efficiency= 55.7% Numerical calculations: The agricultural requirement for seed sowing is that the distance between two seeds has to be maintained as 20 cm & the fertilizer should be 2.5 cm apart from each seed. The distance between two adjacent rows should be 45 cm. On an average we will get 12 seeds per revolution of the wheel & the quantity of fertilizer dropped is 8 gm per revolution. Assuming average speed of the human to be 1.56 kmph= 0.4167 m/s. Knowing radius of wheel = 25.4cm, v= r 0.4167=0.254 ((2N)/60) N = 16 rpm. i.e; it covers 16 revolutions per minute. Distance covered in 1 minute = 16160 = 2560 cm = 25.6 m Since, 1 acre is equivalent to a land of area 4000 m (6464 m) The no of rows = 6400/45 = 142 rows. Here, 1 row is of 64 m length. Hence, time taken by the machine to cover a distance of 64 m = 2.5 minutes. i.e, a machine requires 2.5 mins to cover a single row. Hence for 1 acre land, the machine will take (2.5142) = 355 mins.i.e, 6 hours. Considering 1 working day of 8 hours, the land covered by machine in 1 day = 0.56 hectares.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

6.2 Economic analysis of sowing methods:Sr.No. PARAMETERS AREA COVERED PER DAY SEED REQUIRED PER ACRE FERTILIZER REQUIRED PER ACRE COST OF SEED SOWING PER ACRE BULLOCK TRACTOR MANUALLY OPERATED OPERATED OPERATED 2.5 Acres 4 Acres 1.5 Acres

2 3

5 Kg 105 Kg

5 Kg 105 Kg

4 Kg 64 Kg

Rs 260

Rs 500

Rs 73

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6.3 Difficulties faced during the Field Trials:

1) Straight Line Sowing: It is very necessary for sowing to sow in a straight line. During trials it is not exactly possible to sow in straight line. 2) Uneven Distribution Of Seeds & Fertilizer: There is uneven distribution of seeds and fertilizer where the land is not properly leveled (at some ups & downs) or due to big stones in the way. 3) Speed Of Operation: For uniform sowing the speed of operation is of prime importance. More uniform the speed of operation, more uniform will be the sowing resulting in higher yield. The speed of operation varies in some scale during sowing. 4) Opening of Seeds & Fertilizers: At some places the seeds and fertilizers had remained open to atmosphere which is very bad for the germination of the seed. It is due to the improper leveled land or improper functioning of chain employed for covering the seeds. 5) Non-Uniform depth of seeds sown: The depth of the seeds sown is varied at some places. For uniform depth of the seeds the effort applied to the machine should be nearly constant as possible.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

CONCLUSION
The economy is the most highlighting feature of this machine as it does not require any electric power & is independent of tractor or bullocks which are unaffordable to poor farmers. Farmers face the problem of non-availability of bullocks as well as tractors during the peak period of sowing. Hence, they are tempted to hire them at an increased cost. By making use of manually operated seed cum fertilizer drill, the yield loss can be substantially decreased. The most important advantage of manually operated seed cum fertilizer drill is that - it can be easily driven by a single person. There is hardly any problem of manpower in rural areas where the average size of the family is large. Thus, if 2 to 3 people are employed for the sowing operations, the area coverage can be increased. As far as most of the farmers requirements are considered, this seed and fertilizer drill is able to satisfy most of them effectively during the peak season. The low cost of the machine as well as its ability to carry out sowing & fertilizing simultaneously, is certainly a boon to the farmers thereby saving much of their time. It results in almost 60 % saving in operational cost and 15% saving in seed requirements. If the machine is commercially exploited, it can be proved to be beneficial to poor farmers.

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Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine For Sorghum

SCOPE FOR FURTHER WORK

After carrying out the field trials and observing the results, the scope for the further work is 1) For better and strong germination of the seeds, the required depth of the seeds to be sown is to be increased about 8 cm. Thus by employing a different type of furrow opener having more width can be used for obtaining the proper seed depth which ultimately increases the yield. 2) For avoiding the wastage of seeds and fertilizer during the turning of the machine some mechanism can be employed which locks the dropping of seeds and fertilizer during turning. 3) For avoiding the uneven sowing when proper leveled land is not available ( more ups & downs) , the stability of the machine can be improved by employing the third small wheel at the center which will improve the sowing more even than the first, thereby increasing the yield. 4) As far as ergonomic considerations are concerned, the bar of handle of the machine can be made to slide in a slot as per the height of the operator. Also an acre meter can be placed on the top of handle so that area coverage can be known.

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REFERENCES
1) Agricultural Machines by N.I.Klenin, I.F.Popov, V.A.Sakun; Amerind Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.New Delhi. 2) Design of Machine Elements by V.B. Bhandari ;Tata McGraw Hill Publication New Delhi 3) Farm Machines and Equipments by C.P.Nakra; Dhanapat Rai Publication Pvt Ltd. 4) Farm Implements by H.J.Hopfen; Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd.New Delhi. 5) Farm Machinery And Equipments by Harris Smith, Lambert Wilkes; Tata McGraw Hill Publication .New Delhi 6) Machine Design-3 by R.B. Patil; Technical Prakashan, Pune 7) Modern Farm Power by William. J .Promersberger & Donald.W.Priebe; Third Edition

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