Subtopic: Functional requirements, principles of working, construction and operation of manual, animal, tractor and renewable energy operated equipment for tillage, sowing, planting, fertilizer application, inter-cultivation, spraying, mowing, chaff cutting, harvesting and threshing
Question Statement:
A 6-row precision maize planter operates at $5.4\text{ km/h}$ with a row spacing of $75\text{ cm}$. The target plant population is $66,666\text{ plants/ha}$. Calculate the number of seeds that must be discharged per minute by each row planting unit.
Answer Key:
450
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Area covered per hour by 1 row:
$A_1 = \text{Row width} \times \text{Speed} = 0.75\text{ m} \times 5400\text{ m/h} = 4050\text{ m}^2/\text{h} = 0.405\text{ ha/h}$
Seeds required per hour per row:
$S_h = 0.405\text{ ha/h} \times 66666.67\text{ seeds/ha} = 27000\text{ seeds/h}$
Seeds discharged per minute per row:
$S_m = \frac{27000}{60} = 450\text{ seeds/min}$