Performance of an Electrically Controlled Fertilizer Metering Mechanism for Horticultural Crops

Sowing and fertilizer application to the both agricultural and horticultural crop is one of the most important operations in crop production that involves factors like correct seed rate, appropriate depth of placement and required fertilizer application for maximizing crop yield. The existing seeders and fertilizer applicators require high energy and produce more vibration during operation and are costly. An electrically controlled metering mechanism was developed aiming to ensure accurate and consistent fertilizer application to the horticultural crops. In a mini seed drill the spokes wheel has been replaced by a 24 V DC motor operating through pulse width modulation (PWM) voltage regulator. In the modified system fertilizer metering shaft, the rotation ranges between 80-120 RPM based on DC PWM voltage regulator. Maximum fertilizer deliver rate of 500 g. was obtained at 200 RPM, while the minimum delivery rate was observed at the 80 RPM. Similarly, the fertilizer rate variation was found to be 1.75±1.53% over the set values.