Results of laboratory and bench-scale studies of seed dispensers with an electric drive of working tools

Mechanical and pneumatic seed drills of both domestic and foreign production are used in Russian farms. They are equipped with a mechanical drive of working tools and an electronic seeding control system. Due to the slipping of the wheels or the breakage of the chains, the sowing of seeds in individual seed dispensers interrupts. According to the results of laboratory and bench-scale studies in respect to soybean seeds, the required power for the electric drive of one seed dispenser was determined, which, depending on the disk rotation speed from 10 to 60 rpm, ranged from 30 to 120 W. By calculation, using the analytical expression, the power, required for the fan drive of a 12-row seed drill, was determined, which, depending on the disk rotation speed, ranged from 1.6 to 2.47 kW. A condition is formulated, which will eliminate the probability of shifting and rolling seeds along the furrow after their fall out of the sowing disc rotating in the opposite direction to the movement of the seeder unit, provided correspondence of the linear speed of the sowing disc and the speed of the seeder unit (the effect of zero overlaps). In this case, the trajectory length of the seeds falling to the furrow should be consistent with the speed of the seeder unit and the seeding rate according to the proposed expression.

PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION AND EXPERIMENT OF SLIDER-HOLE-WHEEL SEED-METERING DEVICE BASED ON DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD

To improve the adaptability and precision of the slider-hole-wheel seed-metering device to meet the requirements of precision sowing, the single factor simulation experiments and the three factors three levels of orthogonal simulation experiments were carried out based on the discrete element method. The rotation speed of the seeding shaft, the shape of the hole, and the depth of the hole were set as experiment factors. The results of simulation experiments showed that the qualified rate was the highest when the rotation speed of the seeding shaft was 30 r/min, the shape of the hole was oval, and the depth of the hole was 9 mm. The qualified rate, replay rate, and miss-seeding rate were 89.09 %, 3.64 %, and 7.27 %，respectively. The hybrid rice seeds of Zhongnong 2008, Chuangliangyou 4418, and Gangyou 898 were chosen as the materials for the bench and field seeding performance tests to verify the reliability of the simulation results. The test results showed that the qualified rate of Zhongnong 2008, Chuangliangyou 4418, and Gangyou 898 seed in bench tests were 85.07 %, 85.20 %, and 82.13 %, and the qualified rate of Zhongnong 2008, Chuangliangyou 4418, and Gangyou 898 seed in field tests were 82.13 %, 82.27 %, and 80.53 %. The seeding performance with the three kinds of rice seeds could meet the agronomic requirements for precision sowing of hybrid rice. The paper provided the basis for the structure optimization and seeding performance improvement of the slider-hole-wheel seed-metering device.

Influence of Different Seed Rates on the Growth and Yield Characteristics of Wheat Crop (Triticum aestivum L.): Case Study of Takhar Province, Afghanistan

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of seed rate on the growth and yield attributes of the wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.) variety Mazar-99 under the agro-climatic conditions of Takhar province, Afghanistan. The experiment was implemented at the research farm of Agriculture Faculty of Takhar University in winter seasons of 2018-2019 with the specific objective of finding out the effect of five seeding rates as the treatment on growth and yield parameters of Mazar-99 variety of wheat. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was selected as an experiment design with 4 replications and 5 seeding rates viz. 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 kg/ha made up treatments. Data on growth and yield parameters were collected and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The result obtained from the current study reveal that all growth and yield characters were remarkably affected by seeding rate and seed rate of 100 kg per hectare of wheat variety Mazar-99 performed better with respect to different growth and yield parameters such as spike length, number of tillers, number of spike at each plant, leaf area, a total of spikelets per spike and stem girth, grain number/spike, the weight of spike, the weight of grain per spike, grain crop yield, straw crop weight, 1000-grain weight, and biological yield. Whereas 80 and 120 kg/ha were the second-best seeding rates after the 100 kg/ha. However, 160 kg/ha seed rate showed only superiority in plant height, but 140 kg/ha did not show any special superiority in any growth and yield characteristic evaluated in Takhar agro-climatic condition. Thus, a seeding rate of 100 kg per hectare could be recommended to the farmers for better wheat production in Takhar agro-climatic situation in North-Eastern Afghanistan.

Productivity of durum wheat cultivars depending on seeding rates in the Chuvash Republic

The results of two-year experimental data on the growth, development and productivity of spring durum wheat cultivars - Bezenchukskaya Niva and Bezenchukskaya Zolotistaya - in the Chuvash Republic were considered. It was found that decrease in the seeding rate of germinating seeds (from 7 to 3 million per 1 ha) resulted in reducing of the growing period in the studied cultivars of spring durum wheat by 6-7 days. Seeding rate of 5 million seeds per 1 ha provided the maximum density of spike-bearing stems due to the best indicators of general and productive tillering. The formation of the largest main spike with a high grain content in Bezenchukskaya Niva cultivar was noted at the seeding rate from 3 to 5 million seeds per 1 ha. Increase in the seeding rate ( 5 million seeds) led to a decrease in the parameters of the main spike. Analysis of Bezenchukskaya Zolotistaya yield structure did not reveal clear patterns in the change in length and grain size of the main spike resulted from the seeding rate. However, the highest 1000-seed weight (50.4 g) was obtained in the variant with a seeding rate of 6 million seeds pieces. Compared to the control, the maximum yield increase in cv. Bezenchukskaya Niva (1.2 t/ha) was obtained in the variant with a seeding rate of 5 million seeds per 1 ha. The highest yield of cv. Bezenchukskaya Zolotistaya (3.23 t/ha) was obtained at a seeding rate of 6 million seeds per 1 ha.

A Comparison of Drill and Broadcast Planting Methods for Biomass Production of Two Legume Cover Crops

The effects of drill and broadcast planting methods on cover crop biomass production depend on various environmental and operational factors. We investigated whether drilling and broadcasting result in different amounts of biomass production by crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) in the upstate of South Carolina, and results vary when seeding rates are increased by 50% from the standard value (22.4 kg ha−1). Field trials were conducted during the fall–winter of 2019–2020 (season one) and 2020–2021 (season two) at the Piedmont Research and Education Center in Pendleton, SC, USA. Cover crop (hairy vetch, crimson clover), planting method (broadcast, drill), and seeding rate (standard, high) treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial in both years. Aboveground biomass was measured after 22.5 weeks from planting. At standard seeding rates, crimson clover produced a higher biomass when drilled, rather than broadcasted, whereas biomass production did not vary for hairy vetch. Even with 50% higher seeding rates, broadcasting did not always produce the same biomass as that of drilling for crimson clover. Our results suggest that the advantage of drilling over broadcasting depends upon the cover crop species, as crimson clover responds well to drilling, whereas hairy vetch does not.

On the Quality of Bare-Grained Oats and Influence of its Cultivation Technology Elements on the Yie

The research was carried out with the aim to establish the formation regularity of both yield and its elements, as well as to formulate technological and quality indicators of bare-grained oats under the influence of different sowing periods. The studies were carried out in the conditions of the northern forest-steppe zone of the Kemerovo region (Russia) on the territory belonging to the Kemerovo Research Institute of Agriculture, a branch of the SFNCA RAS in 2018-2019. The soil of the site is leached chernozem, heavy loamy in granulometric composition, of medium thickness. The object of research was the mid-season variety of bare-grained oats Bare-grained. The predecessor is pure steam. Sowing was carried out in three periods: early – on May 4 (when the soil was physically ripe, subsequent ones with an interval of 8-10 days, depending on the prevailing weather conditions), medium - on May 12 and 14, late - on May 20 and 24. Against the background of each sowing period, the seeding rates of 4.0 were studied; 4.5; 5.0; 5.5; 6.0 million crops/ha. It has been established that the optimal sowing time for obtaining high quantitative indicators (yield, number of grains, grain size) of bare-grained oats in the northern forest-steppe of the Kemerovo region is an early period (first decade of May); while a later period (third decade of May) is more promising for such high-quality indicators as protein content, fat in grain, essential and nonessential amino acids, etc. The optimal seeding rate for bare-grained oats at early sowing period is 4.0-4.5 million/ha. At a later period, it is advisable to increase the seeding rate to 5.0-5.5 million/ha.

INFLUENCE OF WETTING CONDITIONS OF SANDY SOILS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF WINTER RYE

For many years of creating a new breeding material for winter rye in the changing soil and climatic conditions of the Novozybkovskaya Agricultural Management Plant, the influence of precipitation during the growing season on the grain productivity of diploid winter rye has been studied. It has been established that the lack of moisture during ear formation and maximum growth of the leaf surface (May) and excess during grain ripening (July) negatively affects productivity. The new varietal material of diploid winter rye showed resistance to lodging of 5 points, since the plant height averaged 109 cm with a variation from 98 to 126 cm. The number of productive stems at a seeding rate (manual) of 600 thousand grains/ha averaged 10 pieces, varying from 5 to 16 over the years with a dense elastic straw. The spike is 14 cm long with 42 spikelets and the grain weight from an ear is 2.7 g, the grain yield is 700–800 g/m2. With a high number of productive stems, an economically effective seeding rate of 150–170 kg / ha has been established, which ensures production of up to 5–6 t/ha of grain in production crops.

Estimation of the efficiency of the «soy – winter wheat» crop rotation link and its influence on soil properties

Crop rotation is a systematic solution to one of the main tasks of agricultural production: rational land management, taking into account their possible effective fertility, biological potential of cultivated plants and available external and internal resources (heat, climate, fertilizers, agricultural machinery and agrochemicals) in order to maintain the most economically efficient management, which is possible with consistently high yields, with consistent reproduction of soil fertility and protection of the external environment. And as a consequence, crop rotation in this case acts as the basis of modern zonal adaptive landscape farming systems. It defines most other systems: soil cultivation and protection from erosion processes, fertilization and plant protection systems, seed production and variety change, irrigation and drainage of lands, technical systems, labor organization, etc. crop rotation «soybean-winter wheat» on merged leached chernozems and its effect on soil properties in the southern foothill zone of the Western Ciscaucasia. As a result of the study, a comprehensive assessment of the productivity of the «soybean-winter wheat» link in the crop rotation has been carried out and its positive effect on agrophysical and agrochemical properties of merged chernozems determined. It has been established that in order to obtain high-quality soybean seeds of the Mentor variety with the corresponding qualities of «the winter wheat» predecessor in the foothill zone of Adygea, it is necessary to use early sevarian conditions at a seeding rate of 0,6 million pieces/ha and a row spacing of 15 and 30 cm. To acieve a high level of production profitability, winter wheat of the Alekseich variety should be placed according to the «soybeans» predecessor against the background of surface tillage (10–12 cm). At the same time, it is proposed to apply mineral fertilizers at a rate of 200 kg/ha in the form of sulfoammophos N20P20S8, with obligatory double spring feeding of 150 kg/ha with ammonium nitrate N51+N51.

Dependence of spring wheat seed productivity on mineral fertilizer doses and seeding rates

The article presents the results of field studies conducted in 2018-2020 on the leached chernozem of the Volga foreststeppe. The objects of the research are the varieties of spring wheat Tulaykovskaya 10 (control), Yoldyz and Tulaykovskaya 108. At seeding rates of 5.0 and 5.5 million viable seeds per 1 ha the effect of mineral fertilizers was studied. The fertilizers were represented by a complete NPK mineral fertilizer of 16 kg a.i. and by top-dressing with mineral nitrogen fertilizer in the tillering phase at the doses of 30, 60 and 90 kg a.i./ha against this background. An increase in the seeding rate of seeds from 5.0 to 5.5 million seeds per 1 ha led to a significant increase in the yield of spring wheat in all years of study (by 0.11-0.26 t/ha), the weight of 1000 seeds – by 1.44 g (LSD05 = 1.14), the nature of grain - by 8 g/l (LSD05 = 5). The effect of top-dressing with nitrogen fertilizers has been proved – the increase in yield ranged from 0.15 to 0.28 t/ha over three years on the average, the maximum from a dose of 60 kg a.i. A statistically significant increase in the weight of 1000 seeds was provided by nitrogen fertilization in doses of 60 and 90 kg a.i./ha – by 2.79 and 1.87 g, respectively (LSD05 = 1.47), grain nature increased at doses of 30, 60 and 90 kg a.i./ha by 34, 23 and 16 g/l, respectively (LSD05 = 2). The average yield of spring wheat varieties with the selected combination of factors (5.5 million seeds/ha, N60) was in the range of 2.64-2.70 t/ha with a mass of 1000 grains 44.03-44.56 g, the nature of grain 765-783 g/l. The studied varieties differed in responsiveness to nitrogen fertilization (N60 against the NPK background): Tulaykovskaya 10 (+0.43 t/ha), Tulaykovskaya 108 (+0.39 t/ha), Yoldyz (+0.24 t/ha). Increases in yield from an increase in the seeding rate were 0.20 (Yoldyz), 0.25 (Tulaykovskaya 108) and 0.26 t/ha (Tulaykovskaya 10). In general, according to the experiment relative to the control variety Tulaykovskaya 10, the variety Yoldyz stood out with a stable increase in yield over the years of research (+0.08 t/ha), statistically significant in years with insufficient moisture. The Yoldyz variety was distinguished by an increased profitability of cultivation – up to 59.4 % at a seeding rate of 5.5 million viable seeds/ha against the background of applying mineral fertilizers N16P16K16 for pre-sowing soil cultivation.

Solid Fermentation of Bacillus thuringiensis: Method Development

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a significant bioinsecticidal agent that has been solely produced by liquid fermentation. With the increasing demand of bioinsecticides for organic agriculture, solid fermentation is preferred to enable low-cost and large-scale production of Bt. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to develop a solid state fermentation method to produce Bt by testing different solid substrates and also the effects of water percentage, fermentation time, temperature and seeding rate on the productions of biomass and parasporal crystal bodies (crystal proteins) of the Bt strain PAM33. Corn bran, rice bran and soybean meal are suitable to be utilized as substrates for biomass production. However, crystal proteins are only observed in solid fermentation using soybean meal as the substrate after 6 days of culture. The temperature range of 25-30°C and 10% seeding rate are the most suitable conditions for solid fermentation of strain PAM33 to obtain the bacterial density of approximate 109 CFU/g and the highest quantity of crystal proteins. This study shows that solid fermentation of Bt is feasible and effective to obtain bacterial biomass and crytal proteins by using cheap and available agricultural wastes. Thus, it can be a potential approach to produce the important Bt-based insecticide products for use in organic agriculture.