Abstract
Sugarcane planters must simultaneously perform furrowing, fertiliser application, seedling metering and furrow covering operations. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the planting operational stages (including furrow opening, size and shape; the uniformity of seedling metering; and furrow closing) as a function of the planting speed and furrow depth. A completely randomised, 2x2 factorial design was adopted, with two planting speeds (5.0 and 6.5 km h-1) and two furrow depths (0.35 and 0.45 m), with 20 replicates. The variables analysed were number of billets m-1, number of total and viable buds m-1, percent of inviable buds, furrow depth, furrow width, disturbed area and seedling cover height. The results were subjected to descriptive analysis, analysis of variance and statistical process control. Increased planting speed caused an increase in disturbed area and a decrease in cover height. The increase in furrow depth caused increases in disturbed area, furrow width, furrow depth and cover height. Furrow opening, seedling metering, cover height, planting depths and operation speed were all uniform within the planting operation. Key words: Planting speed, furrow depth, statistical process control, Saccharum officinarum.
Highlights
All operations involved in the agricultural production system of sugarcane can currently be mechanised
The study was conducted on February 23, 2013 in the municipality of Ibitinga, Sรฃo Paulo (SP), Brazil, in an area belonging to the Santa Fรฉ Plant, located near the coordinates 21ยฐ48'35.05" S latitude and 48ยฐ55'30.27" W longitude, with an average altitude of 475 m
A completely randomised design (CRD) was adopted in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with the following treatments: two planting speeds (5.0 and 6.5 km h-1) and two furrow depths (0.35 and 0.45 m), with 20 replicates per treatment and each replicate composed of samples from both planting rows, at a 20 m distance from each other along the rows
Summary
All operations involved in the agricultural production system of sugarcane can currently be mechanised. To meet the increased demand for ethanol and sugar in the domestic and foreign markets, several areas of the sugarcane industry have been moving towards mechanised field planting to address a labour shortage and higher production costs due to significant increases in cultivated areas (Cebim et al, 2012). According to Serafim et al (2013), three basic stages of mechanised planting exist: 1โ Mechanised seedling and harvesting; 2โ seedling transport and transfer (conducted with tractors or trucks with a trailer, known as transhipment); and 3โ planting with a planter. In these mechanised stages, the seedling buds are subjected to further damage. Many producers use 18 to 22 buds per metre of furrow at planting to ensure that the final quality of the seedlings allows the ratio of 12 buds
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