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:
In an inclined cell plate planter (commonly used for cotton, groundnut, and maize), the plate is tilted at an angle of approximately $45^\circ\text{--}50^\circ$ to the horizontal. The primary mechanical advantage of this inclined orientation compared to a horizontal plate is:
Options:
(A) Elimination of cell cut-off and wipe-off devices because excess seeds fall back into the hopper by gravity
(C) Generation of vacuum inside the cell holes without an external blower
(D) Automatic compensation for tractor forward slip
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
In an inclined plate planter:
- The plate rotates at an angle ($45^\circ\text{--}50^\circ$) through the bottom of the seed hopper.
- As cells fill with seeds and ascend towards the discharge point at the top, gravity naturally causes excess seeds to tumble back down into the hopper.
- This eliminates the need for aggressive mechanical brushes or spring wipers that can bruise fragile seeds like groundnut.