Parameter optimization experiment of impact hybrid rice pollination machine

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Pollination is a key process in hybrid rice seed production, however, the low level of mechanization and the lack of pollination equipment make it hard to achieve an efficient operation and a high seed setting rate. In order to improve this situation, an impact pollination machine with power chassis, lifting unit and impact device was developed for hybrid rice cross-pollination. The impact device install with reciprocating leading screw mechanism which is for power transmission and MATLAB was used to simulated it‘s movement locus for adjust its mechanical structure. The main working parameters were optimized using orthogonal design based on the actual planting pattern of hybrid rice. In this experiment, the impact device impacted the stems while the machine was walking between the two lines of paternal plants of hybrid rice. Impact height, impact frequency and harvest speed of the machine were designed as experimental factors, and the quantity of pollen was calculated as evaluation indexes. The results showed that the indexes were influenced by the harvest speed and impact frequency significantly, and the effect caused by impact height was extremely significant. The optimized working parameters were 0.8m/s for the forward speed, -20cm for the impact height, 2.5Hz for the impact frequency respectively. Compared with common used artificial auxiliary pollination method, the impact pollination machine with the optimal working parameters increased the pollen quantity by 80% and the rice yield by 36%. This study provided a reference for the designed and test of machine of hybrid rice.