Design and experiment of precision air-suction type planter for potato

Abstract: In order to solve the problems such as the lower operation speed, lower precision at the present stage of China's potato planting machine, the potato air-powered precision planter was developed in this paper. This planting machine contains fertilizer shovel, seed-metering device, wind blowing fan, potato seed box, wind suction fan, soil coverer, transmission device and land wheel. The whole machine is tracked by tractor with the power of 88.6 kW, and the power of fan rotary dynamic device is provided by tractor. The air-powered precision seed-metering device for potato is different from the traditional air suction device, and it has the distributed multi suction arms and at the end of each arm is installed with suction nozzles. With the rotation of seed-metering device and the working of suction fan and blowing fan, the potato can be sucked on the suction nozzles and cast into furrow in special position. As the most important structure of the seed-metering device, the sealing property of the device is very significant, and the air distribution valve of this seed-metering device is made of alumina alloy covered with porcelain. The static value cooperates with rotary value. The areas of positive pressure and negative pressure zone in static value are independent, and the negative pressure zone and the positive pressure area account for 300° and 13°, respectively. The suction nozzle contains miniature potato nozzle and conventional potato nozzle. The soil particles are cut and crashed by the edge of the shovel at the front side of the sliding-knife opener, and move along the side of opener. Some of the soil particles fall into the furrow first to create a soft furrow, and the rest of soil particles move backwards along the opener, and then cover the potato when it falls into furrow. The lower soil particles can firstly provide a better furrow situation for potato to grow. Besides, the seed-supplying device is designed to meet the needs of the transfer of potato. This potato level switch is the key part of this device. The electrical signal can be transferred from switch to motor to transfer potato seed. Fan blade is designed to meet the requirements of suction pressure. The centrifugal fan is used due to the higher efficiency. The test was implemented in Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Keshan Farm in 2016 and 2017. Potato in this test was prepared by Northeast Agricultural University. Field experiments showed that the potato air-suction planter's operating speed reached 10.2 km/h, emergence of seedling was 2-3 days earlier than potato planted by traditional planter, and the seedling rate reached 96%, indicating that the production practice of the seedlings of this device is strong. The field production test area was 200 hm2, the replay rate of the potato air-powered planter was below 1%, the missing rate was below 1%, and the coefficient of variation for row spacing was less than 10%, exceeding the national standard and meeting the requirements of potato planting agronomy; the mean absolute deviation of sowing width was less than the traditional potato planter due to the use of sliding-knife opener. This air-powered planter can provide a new technology for high speed precision potato sowing and promote the potato production mechanization process in China.