An unmanned wetland paddy seeder with mechatronic seed metering mechanism for precise seeding

Abstract

An unmanned wetland paddy seeder (UWPS) with mechatronics-based seed metering device was developed to improve the seed dropping quality and to reduce both health hazards and environmental pollution. The optimum operating parameters of the seed metering device for IR 36 variety pre-germinated paddy seeds were found to be 0.23 m/s forward speed, 11.2 mm orifice diameter and 37 rpm rotary agitation speed. A four row unmanned wetland paddy seeder (UWPS) was fabricated with the developed metering device. During laboratory evaluation of the UWPS, variation of the performance parameters within the rows were found insignificant and desired seeding was achieved up to 2/3rd seed filling level in hoppers. So, the hoppers were filled up to 2/3rd level during field operation. During field operation the turning radius of the seeder was found to be 0.8 m and the root mean square error of deviation from straight path was observed 22.13 mm. The maximum range of wireless communication was found to be 121 m. With the increase in seed filling level of hoppers from 1/3rd to 2/3rd, the quality of feed index, hill distribution uniformity and seed rate decreased from 100 % to 96 %, 90.42 % to 85.46 %, and 28.45 kg/ha to 24.64 kg/ha, respectively whereas the missing index, mean hill spacing and seed dropping uniformity in hills increased from 0 % to 4 %, 234.5 mm to 248.4 mm and 65.8 % to 72.45 %, respectively, which showed improved seeding quality.