Abstract:
Sowing is one of the important operations in crop production that involves factors like correct seed rate, appropriate depth of placement ad required seed space for maximum production. Ground wheel-driven conventional metering mechanism results in improper placement of seeds because of skidding and vibration of the ground wheel. To overcome this problem a microcontroller-based seed metering unit was developed and retrofitted to a planter. The microcontroller-operated planter was evaluated over ground wheel-driven planter for Maize seed. During the field trails it was observed that the average missing index, multiple index, and quality feed index of microcontroller operated planter was 6.6%, 10%, and 83.4% respectively. The average missing index, multiple index, multiple index and quality feed index of ground wheel-driven planter was 20.3%, 23.3%, and 56.4% respectively. It was also observed that sowing with a microcontroller-operated planter, there was a net saving of 20% of cost over ground wheel-driven planter.