Developing Direct Seeding Cultivation Using an Air-Assisted Strip Seeder

Abstract

We evaluated an air-assisted strip seeder, developed by the Hokuriku research center, in farmers’ fields for four years. Plantings using the seeder had more panicles and a higher yield than those using a shooting hill-seeder. The early growth of planting using the air-assisted strip seeder was promoted by increasing the rate of seedling establishment because the seeding depth of plantings using the air-assisted strip seeder was shallower than that of plantings using the shooting hill-seeder. Tillering in this planting was also promoted, which boosted the yield, while simultaneous seeding with fertilizer application using the air-assisted strip seeder was also compared with conventional practice over two years in a field at the Hokuriku research center. During simultaneous seeding with fertilizer application, the rate of seedling establishment was equivalent to that in conventional practice. After seedling establishment, growth and yields in the simultaneous seeding with fertilizer application were equivalent to or exceeded those in conventional practice. Discipline: Crop production Additional key words: rice, seeding depth, seedling establishment, simultaneous seeding with fertilizer application, yield *Corresponding author: e-mail furuhata@ affrc.go.jp Received 26 February 2014; accepted 3 September 2014. Introduction The Hokuriku research center has developed an air-assisted strip seeder (Chosa et al. 2009b, Fig. 1.) The seeding base width of the seeder is 10 m (base width of one side is 5 m.) The blower of the seeder conveys seeds to the injection ports; powered by the PTO of the tractor and can deposit seeds in rows with interval spacing of 30 cm. The effective field capacity is 2 ha/h, assuming a base speed of 0.8 m s-1 and field efficiency of 70%. Because the seeder allows planting of large fields, its technology may promote labor-saving and low-cost technologies for direct seeding culture in the near future. In the mechanical transplanting method, a labor-saving technology for rice planting, involving the application of fertilizer or pesticide has already been developed, while in direct seeding culture, systematized techniques, such as seeding with fertilization or pesticide application, have also been introduced. In cultures using a shooting hill-seeder (Togashi et al. 2001a) and coated urea, technology simultaneously seeded with fertilizer application has been reported (Yoshinaga et al. 1997, Morita et al. 2005, Furuhata et al. 2006) In this technology, a decreased seedling emergence rate and delay in early growth was observed, compared with fertilizer incorporation into the plow layer (Furuhata et al. 2006) Furthermore, the runoff of nitrogen from the soil surface following basal dressing containing quick-acting Base width (one side 5m) Injection port Interrow space (0.3m) Spray pipe Electric motor cylinder Blower Feed roll Hopper 1980mm PTO transmission system Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of air-assisted strip seeder