Engineering properties of three maize varieties for optimizing small-scale planter design in Jammu and Kashmir, India

A study was conducted to investigate the physical and engineering properties of three maize varieties namely PHM-34, JHM-Double and JCM-3 for the proper design of seed metering systems in small-scale maize planters in Jammu and Kashmir. The primary parameters evaluated were moisture content, tri-axial dimensions (Size, Shape and Sphericity), frictional attributes and gravimetric properties. The average moisture content was found to be 7.36% (PHM-34: 7.27 ± 0.21%, JHM-Double: 6.50 ± 0.03%, JCM-3: 8.31 ± 0.09%) influencing seed cohesion. The tri-axial dimensions illustrated favourable characteristics for metering mechanisms particularly in PHM-34, with an average length of 11.44 ± 1.48 mm, width of 9.65 ± 0.83 mm and thickness of 4.40 ± 0.74 mm. The frictional properties revealed that PHM-34 has the lowest coefficient of friction on aluminium surfaces (0.49 ± 0.01) signifying reduced resistance during seed movement within the planter. The gravimetric analysis indicated that PHM-34 possessed the highest bulk density at 0.80 g/cm³ and true density at 1.43 g/cm³, enhancing storage and handling efficiency compared to JHM-double (bulk density: 0.71 g/cm³, true density: 1.34 g/cm³) and JCM-3 (bulk density: 0.67 g/cm³, true density: 1.26 g/cm³). The JHM-double and JCM-3 showed higher porosity (JHM-double: 46.75%, JCM-3: 47.09%), while the seed characteristics of PHM-34 suggest better performance in planting operations. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate maize varieties based on their physical and engineering properties to enhance planting efficiency contributing to improved agricultural productivity in the region.