impact of field characteristics on pneumatic seed drill performance: a case study in eritrea

The efficient use of agricultural machinery significantly improves both the quantity and quality of field operations; therefore, it is essential to optimize operational speed and field time. factors such as field shape complexities and soil surface roughness (ssr) significantly impact seeding performance. the objective of this research was thus to evaluate how these key factors affect seeder performance: (1) field size and shape, and (2) the interaction of seeder speed and ssr. the performance metrics, effective field capacity (feff), efficiency (η), and average working speed (va), were analyzed using sas software. the convexity (icon) and rectangularity (ir) indices for each plot were calculated using the arcgis minimal bounding geometry data management tool, while the elevation standard deviation (σe) was computed using python. the resulting values for feff, η, and va varied widely, with values ranging from 10.2 to 3.1 ha h-1, 30% to 65.7%, and 5.2 to 17 km h-1, respectively. a va process capability index (cpk) of 0.22 indicates a significant challenge in meeting the established limits. as the plot run-length increased, the feff also increased (r2 = 42%), while it decreased with a rising perimeter to area ratio (p/a) (r2 = 51%). additionally, feff exhibited an upward trend as the icon and ir indices rose, while it experienced a decline with greater compactness (icom) and square perimeter (isp) indices; albeit these relationships were not statistically significant. higher roughness levels generally resulted in a decline in η. furthermore, operating the planter at higher speed on uneven terrain led to a significant decrease in efficiency. hence, redesigning the plots to minimize border complexities, eliminating topographic abnormalities, and implementing tailored plot-specific pre-sowing procedures, will significantly enhance planter performance.

impact of field characteristics on pneumatic seed drill performance: a case study in eritrea

the efficient use of agricultural machinery significantly improves both the quantity and quality of field operations; therefore, it is essential to optimize operational speed and field time. factors such as field shape complexities and soil surface roughness (ssr) significantly impact seeding performance. the objective of this research was thus to evaluate how these key factors affect seeder performance: (1) field size and shape, and (2) the interaction of seeder speed and ssr. the performance metrics, effective field capacity (feff), efficiency (η), and average working speed (va), were analyzed using sas software. the convexity (icon) and rectangularity (ir) indices for each plot were calculated using the arcgis minimal bounding geometry data management tool, while the elevation standard deviation (σe) was computed using python. the resulting values for feff, η, and va varied widely, with values ranging from 10.2 to 3.1 ha h-1, 30% to 65.7%, and 5.2 to 17 km h-1, respectively. a va process capability index (cpk) of 0.22 indicates a significant challenge in meeting the established limits. as the plot run-length increased, the feff also increased (r2 = 42%), while it decreased with a rising perimeter to area ratio (p/a) (r2 = 51%). additionally, feff exhibited an upward trend as the icon and ir indices rose, while it experienced a decline with greater compactness (icom) and square perimeter (isp) indices; albeit these relationships were not statistically significant. higher roughness levels generally resulted in a decline in η. furthermore, operating the planter at higher speed on uneven terrain led to a significant decrease in efficiency. hence, redesigning the plots to minimize border complexities, eliminating topographic abnormalities, and implementing tailored plot-specific pre-sowing procedures, will significantly enhance planter performance.