BELT-TYPE SEEDER FOR SOYBEANS

Some soybean growers have expressed a need for a soybean seeder that would combine the narrow row capability and relatively low cost of a grain drill with the precision seed spacing of a row-crop seeder. A prototype belt-metering seeder for soybeans was designed, constructed, and tested as a possible answer to this need. The prototype was compared with commercially available seeders equipped with fluted wheel, brush, or finger metering systems. At ground speeds of 3.2 to 9.6 km/h (2-6 mph), the prototype set for a nominal spacing of 24 mm (0.94 in.) was able to meter soybeans with a mean spacing of 23 to 30 mm (0.92-1.17 in.) and a quality of feed index of 38 to 46%. Seeding uniformity of the prototype was not better than the seeding uniformity of the three commercial seeders.