69

Journal of Tropical Agriculture 42 (1-2): 69-71, 2004

Short communication
Planter design in relation to the physical properties of seeds
P.R. Jayan* and V.J.F. Kumar
Department of Farm Machinery, AEC&RI, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu

Received 30 March 2004; received in revised form 15 October 2004; accepted 25 October 2004

Abstract

Physical properties namely, length, breadth, surface area, roundness, equivalent diameter, sphericity, seed weight, true density,
angle of repose and coefficient of restitution of maize, red gram and cotton seeds were evaluated as design parameters for a
planter. Thickness and cell diameters of the seed metering discs were designed in reference to the maximum breadth and length
of seeds. Both roundness and sphericity affect seed flow through the various components of the planter. Roundness of maize,
red gram, and cotton were 1.14 ± 0.14, 1.15 ± 0.10, and 1.26 ± 0.10 respectively, while sphericity of these seeds in the natural
rest position were 0.621 ± 0.065, 0.750 ± 0.016, 0.550 ± 0.016 respectively. To ensure free flow of seeds, the slope of the seed
hopper was, therefore, fixed at 30o, which is modestly higher than the average angle of repose of seeds. In addition, the inner
surfaces of the seed transfer cup was imbedded with 3 mm thick rubber sheet as its coefficient of restitution was lower than mild
steel sheet of same thickness.

Key words: coefficient of restitution, cotton, maize, red gram, sphericity of seeds

Seed flow through a planter is dependent on size, shape, digital camera and calibrated to scale. These images were
sphericity, true density and angle of repose of seeds. In transferred to the software Quantimet 500+ to identify
addition, the impact of seeds on the internal components the object based on the boundary of seeds, and the
of the planter is influenced by the coefficient of parameters such as length, breadth, area, roundness, and
restitution of seeds on various impinging surfaces. equivalent diameter were worked out. The measurement
Therefore, attempts were made to find out the optimum was replicated for 20 samples of each kind and their
design parameters of a planter by determining the means (species-wise) were computed. For sphericity
relevant physical properties of three disparate kinds of characterization, seeds were placed at its natural rest
crop seeds. position on an overhead projector and the outline of the
projected boundary was traced on the screen (Waziri and
Physical properties of seeds namely, size, shape, Mittal, 1983). The seed was rotated 90o about its
sphericity, thousand seed weight, true density, angle of longitudinal axis and the projected image was traced
repose and coefficient of restitution for maize (Zea mays, again. From the outline of the projected image, the
cv. CoH-3), red gram (Cajanus cajan, cv. APK-1), and diameter of the largest inscribed circle (di) and the
cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, cv. MCU-5) were diameter of the smallest circumscribed circle (dc) were
determined following standard procedures. For estimating drawn and sphericity was calculated as
the size and shape, 10 random seeds of each species were di
(Curray, 1951).
spread at their natural rest position on the glass panel of a dc
Leica Quantimet 500+ Digital Image Analyzer (Mahadevan The measurement was repeated for 50 random seeds of
et al., 1999). The image of the seed was captured using a each kind and their average worked out. Thousand seed

*Author for correspondence (present address): Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kerala Agricultural University, Malappuram, Tavanur 679
573, Kerala, India. Tel. No. 0494-2686329; Fax: 91-484-009; E-mail: prjayan2003@yahoo.co.in
Planter design in relation to the physical properties of seeds 70

weight was determined for ten random samples of 1000 Table 1. Size and shape, sphericity, thousand seed weight
seeds each (per seed kind) in an electronic balance and true density of maize, red gram and cotton seeds at 95 %
having sensitivity of 0.01 g. True density of seeds was confidence limit
calculated as Parameters kind of seeds
 Bulk density  maize red gram cotton
 (1 - Porosity)  Size and shape
 
Length (mm) 10.70±0.08 7.35±0.06 9.10±0.09
For this, porosity was determined using a standard Breadth (mm) 8.70±0.03 6.35±0.07 5.60±0.05
Area (mm2) 71.00±0.14 35.80±0.05 37.00±0.08
porosity apparatus with five replicates and bulk density
Roundness 1.14±0.14 1.15±0.10 1.26±0.10
determined as the ratio of the weight by volume using Equivalent
containers of different shapes. The angle of repose of diameter
seeds was determined by the method explained by Waziri (mm) 9.50±0.10 6.74±0.06 6.90±0.07
and Mittal (1983). The seeds were allowed to fall from Sphericity
a height of 300 mm on circular discs of 200, 150, and Natural rest
100 mm diameter until maximum height was reached position 0.621±0.065 0.750±0.016 0.550±0.016
and the height of seed heap was noted. The experiment Vertical
was replicated five times for each seed kind and the position 0.551±0.015 0.721±0.032 0.455±0.032
average values were computed. The following equation Thousand seed
weight (g ) 268.30±0.092 102.12±0.060 81.42±0.018
was used to calculate the angle of repose of the selected
True density
seeds,
h (kg m-3) 1691.56±0.06 1301.00±0.04 1251.43±0.03
è = tan -1  
r (95% confidence limit = mean±1.645 SD)
where θ = angle of repose, h = height of cone (mm) and
r = radius of cone (mm). Coefficient of restitution of a plate thickness of 10 mm. This is expected to meter 2
seeds was determined by the method described by to 3 seeds when the cell hole overlaps with the hopper
Kumar (1995). In this method, a seed is dropped from a hole. The thickness of the cell wheel was selected based
height of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mm on 3 mm on the surface area of seeds (71.0±0.14, 35.8±0.05 and
thick mild steel and rubber sheets. A graduated scale of 37.0± 0.08 mm2 respectively for maize, red gram and
500 mm was kept at the background and the maximum cotton) to meter 2 to 3 seeds. Roundness of maize,
height of seed rebounce recorded using a high-speed redgram, and cotton seeds were 1.14±0.14, 1.15±0.10,
digital video camera. Height of rebounce was measured and 1.26±0.10 respectively.
in the monitor using the video editing unit. This was
replicated 10 times for each seed kind and the coefficient Movement of non-spherical seed is usually slower under
of restitution calculated using the following equation, gravity. Sphericity of maize, redgram, and cotton seeds
Coefficient of restitution = h in natural rest position were 0.621±0.065, 0.750±0.016,
H and 0.550±0.016, while that in the vertical position were
where h = height of rebound (mm) and H = height of 0.551±0.015, 0.721±0.032, and 0.455±0.032 respectively.
drop, mm (Whitney and Porterfield, 1968). Since the metered seeds are to be transferred to the seed
placement unit (dibber) quickly, the lower sphericity value
Results show that maize, red gram and cotton seeds were of cotton was taken into consideration for designing the
10.70±0.08, 7.35±0.06 and 9.10±0.09 mm long and slope of the seed transfer cup. Again, seed weight affects
8.70±0.03, 6.35±0.07, 5.60±0.05 mm wide respectively seed flow from seed metering device to the dibber, and
(Table 1). Accordingly, the wheels of seed metering in turn, influences the design of seed hopper. True
device were fabricated with cell diameters of 11, 8, and density of the seeds was highest for maize (1691.56±0.06
10 mm for maize, redgram, and cotton respectively with kg m-3), followed by red gram (1301.00±0.04 kg m-3)
P.R. Jayan and V.J.F. Kumar 71

Table 2. Coefficient of restitution of maize, red gram and cotton seeds at different dropping heights on 3 mm MS and rubber
sheets
Seeds Impact surface Coefficient of restitution at different dropping heights
50 mm 100 mm 150 mm 200 mm 250 mm 300 mm
Maize MS Sheet 0.707 0.547 0.516 0.500 0.458 0.428
Rubber sheet 0.529 0.447 0.454 0.435 0.400 0.374
Red gram MS Sheet 0.817 0.632 0.577 0.524 0.489 0.483
Rubber sheet 0.678 0.500 0.483 0.458 0.428 0.424
Cotton MS Sheet 0.501 0.447 0.417 0.403 0.374 0.365
Rubber sheet 0.450 0.390 0.355 0.331 0.316 0.305
MS- mild steel

and cotton (1251.43±0.03 kg m-3). The mean angle of References

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This paper is a part of the PhD thesis of the first author
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