Abstract
This study was carried out to test feasibility of a granule fertilizer applicator for rapeseed seeding in paddy fields. The metering plate of a conventional applicator was modified for rapeseed seeding. The modified plate had new three seeding openings with total area of <TEX>$342mm^2$</TEX>. Average target discharging rates ranged from 6.3 to 21.0 g/s and correlated with opening areas. Application patterns of the rapeseed seeding showed M-shape. The coefficients of variation of the application showed 70.5% at 0.99 m/s of forwarding speed and 14.3 g/s of a discharge rate, and 77.7% at 1.72 m/s of a forwarding speed and 8.23 g/s of a discharge rate. The coefficients of variation in the direction of transverse of the tractor ranged from 7.3 to 47.7%. In rapeseed seeding tests using the applicator, seed damages rates were less than 15% due to the agitator, the seed hopper and the seeding plate break. Therefore, improvements of the applicator blow heads and seeding equipments were required in order to apply rapeseed efficiently.
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