MODULE 12

PLANTING EQUIPMENTS
Agricultural machinery and equipment is what helps farmers to produce the
goods that consumers want and need. Without the appropriate equipment, farmers
would not be efficient enough to provide the food that we need. Planting
equipment reduces the amount of hard labor farmers spend on doing their work and
allows farmers to produce larger amounts of higher quality products. You’ll need
planting equipment to place seeds in the soil for germination. The right amount of
seed needs to be planted at the proper depth in the soil.

Classification of Planting Equipment

1. Row-crop planters
a. Trailing
b. Rear tractor-mounted
2. Broadcast-crop planters
a. Endgate seeders
b. Narrow and wide track and weeder mulcher
c. Airplanes
3. Grain drills
4. Planting attachments for other equipment

Row-crop planters
Planters designed and constructed to plant seeds in rows far enough apart to
permit cultivation of the crop are termed row-crop planters. Many row crop
planters are designed to plant seeds of only one certain crop, while others can be
adapted to plant more than one crop by means of interchangeable hoppers,
agitators, plates and speed-control mechanism of the seed-metering parts.
Generally, row-crop planters can be divided into five classes, named according to
the kind of crop the planter is specially designed to plant. The classes are corn;
sorghum; vegetable, beet and bean; and potato.
Broadcast-crop planters
Broadcasting is the oldest and simplest method of sowing seed.
Broadcasting by machine is more accurate and rapid than by hand.
Broadcast planters drop the seed on the surface of the soil and do not have
any covering attachments.
A tractor mounted power- take off-driven broadcast seeder consists of a
hopper, a feeding device and distributing wheel.

A weeder-mulcher broadcast seeder consists of a seedbox on a weeder-

mulcher. The seeds are dropped on the ground and then covered by the long, spring
steel mulcher fingers.
 An airplane can be considered as a type of broadcast seeder and is used to
plant rice, clovers and other crops whose seeds are sown broadcast.

Aerial seeding is a technique of sowing seeds by spraying them through

aerial mechanical means such as a drone, plane or helicopter.

Aerial seeding is considered a broadcast method of seeding. It is often used

to spread different grasses and legumes to large areas of land that are in need
of vegetative cover after fires. Large wildfires can destroy large areas of plant life
resulting in erosion hazards. Aerial seeding may quickly and effectively reduce
erosion hazards and suppress growth of invasive plant species. Aerial seeding is an
alternative to other seeding methods where terrain is extremely rocky or at high
elevations or otherwise inaccessible.
Grain drills
The grain drill is a machine designed and built to place the seeds of small
grains and grasses in the ground in narrow row spaced at 6 to 8 inches apart a
uniform depth.
Grain drills and seed planters are key components in developing successful
conservation plantings. They are complex machines that deliver seed at a metered
rate, place it at a consistent depth in the soil, and produce light compaction to
provide good seed to soil contact. Planters and drills come in many different forms
with varying strength and weaknesses depending on the seed being used and
condition of the planting site. Some require prepared seed beds, others require little
to no seed bed preparation, and others are capable of preparing the seed bed and
planting in a single pass. Understanding the basic operation of these machines and
their strengths and weaknesses is critical in determining which planter is best
suited to meet the desired goals of the planting, or getting the best performance
from the available planter.
TRANSPLANTER
The key to successful agriculture is efficiency and have all the right
machines. One machine that all farmers should have or consider getting is a
transplanter. With a transplanter, you can save time and labor.
A transplanter is an essential machine for farming, it reduces the amount of
time it takes to transplant seedling into the field. The machine can transplant one or
more rows of the seedling at the same time and is suitable to transplant any kind of
crop seedling. Perfect machinery for those of you interested in mass agricultural
production. Also, it makes the user’s job very easy, it requires one person
preparing the seedling and monitoring the machine, fast and easy. As a farmer and
a business owner, we all understand the importance of time. The faster the seedling
is planted, the more time it has to grow before being harvest thus it might bring
better crops and better sales. Thus, a transplanter can help you speed up and
become more efficient.
How to pick the perfect transplanter for your farm:

In order to pick the best transplanter for your business, you need to know about
what kind of plant you are planting, and how much space you have.
Sizing:
The sizing of your farm is very important because it determines how many rows
you can plant. If you are interested in planting all the same plant and as many as
possible, you might want a transplanter that is capable of planting multiple rows at
once. If you have smaller farmland and you want to plant different kinds of crop,
you might want to consider using a single row transplanter that is suitable for
multiple kinds of seedlings.
Crop:
It is important to know if you are only going to plant one type of plant or a variety
of different plants. Some transplanters are applicable to all vegetations, while some
are made for specific plants so the specific plant is planted properly and with most
efficiently.
If you are looking for mass production of the same plant, it might be better to get
the specific plant transplanter or customizable one to be the best fit for your crop.
 Safety Tips
Planters
 Always lower the planter to the ground when it’s not being used.
When planter is on the ground, perform frequent service work and adjustments
 Use jack stands of block when working under the planter to prevent it
from falling
 Do not clean, lubricate, or adjust the machine when it is in motion
 Handle agricultural chemicals with appropriate protective gear

Drills
 Be sure the drill is properly attached to the tractor before filling the
seed or fertilizer hoppers, otherwise the drill will tip over
 When servicing or adjusting, always lower the drill to the ground and
shut off the tractor
 Reduce tractor speed when operating over rough or uneven ground
 Reduce speed when traveling down hills
 Avoid sharp turns to prevent drill from catching on tires
 When hitching or unhitching the grain drill, use the parking stands or
jacks to safely support the drill until it’s firmly attached or parked.

Transportation Safety
 Be sure machinery is equipped with adequate lights and
reflectors
 Check local and state regulations for proper transportation
position
 Use transport links to take the load off the hydraulic cylinder
when equipment is moved more than a couple miles
 Use flashing warning lights when necessary
 Keep equipment to the right of the center line when travelling
 If transporting long distances, haul by truck or trailer