Evaluation of mechanical damage in peanut seeds (Arachis hypogaea L.) according to meters operating at three sowing speeds

Abstract

The quality of the seed is very important to obtain an adequate establishment of the crop. The objective of this work was to evaluate the mechanical damage produced by metering device of the seed drills in the peanut seed, operating at three speeds of advance. In a static planting bench, three metering units were mounted: a) suction pneumatic, b) inclined plane mechanic, and c) horizontal plate mechanic, simulating planting at 5, 7, and 9 km hour-1. Polymer-coated peanut seeds were used sowing a density of 18 seeds per meter, where they were collected in a plate and classified into split seeds and seeds loss of their tegument. Then a weight by weight comparison was made to obtain the percentage of said classification. The results show that the type of metering device significantly affects the broken of the seed and the loss of its tegument, not the sowing speed, nor the interaction between both. According to what has been tested, it is concluded that the metering device produce broken and loss of seed coat, being the horizontal plate mechanism that produces the most damage.