Suction drum-type seed metering device with auto-cleaning block of transplanter for tray grown rice seedling

In order to get the solution for the severe blocking, which is difficult to clean, in suction holes of suction drum-type seed metering device of transplanter for tray grown rice seedling during precision seeding for the accelerating germination of rice seed, the authors designed a suction drum-type seed metering device with auto-cleaning the block, and carried out seed filling and metering experiments. The experimental results showed that the seed-filling percentage for 1-2 kernels in hole was higher than 97% under experimental conditions of the spherical pocket radius of 4.2 mm and flow rates of gas sources of 35 and 38 L/s for the suction drum-type seed metering device. And the seed metering device showed good performance of the auto-cleaning block, which was beneficial to seed filling and metering process. The results approve that the newly designed device is reliable and efficient.