APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL IN MECHANIZED CORN SEEDING

Abstract

Several factors alter the quality of the mechanized sowing process of corn, and the use of the statistical process control (SPC) technique not only allows the identification of process limitation points but also ensures the correct functioning and conduction of the mechanized process, determining critical factors. that may decrease their performance. In view of the above, the present study aims to qualitatively evaluate, through this technique, the longitudinal distribution of corn seeds as a function of different stands and operational speeds during the sowing process. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design (CBD) with three replications and in a split-plot design. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and when significant, analyzed using Tukey's test, with 5% significance. To carry out the statistical process control, mean and amplitude control charts were used to evaluate the effect of operational speed, seed distribution, deposition depth and plant germination. The results indicate that the use of statistical process control is an efficient tool to identify the behavior of the corn sowing process. Based on the results, speeds close to 4.5 km/h allowed an efficient sowing process, as it presented a higher percentage of normal spaces in the distribution of maize seeds.