A drum seeder for direct seeding

In areas where broadcast seeding is practiced, the drum seeder offers several advantages:

· reduces seeding rate to about 50-100 kg/ha without compromising yield (broadcast seeding rate requires 100150 kg/ha). Savings in seed costs are realized.

· uses pregerminated seeds as traditionally practiced by farmers.

· increases yields due to:

- better weed control (i.e., facilitates use of mechanical weeders)
- better fertilizer and sunlight distribution due to less crowded pants
- in general, labor requirements for the following farm operations may be decreased. weeding, fertilizer application and harvesting.

A drum seeder for direct seeding

SOME TRADE-OFFS IN THE USE OF THE DRUM SEEDER:

· increase in labor requirement for land preparation (especially in soil levelling to ensure uniform seed distribution) and planting operations
· cannot adapt well to wet season planting as heavy rains will destroy the planting line
· water depth control during seeding operation is essential
· a drum seeder unit costs approximately P1750 (as of December 1989) and has an expected life span of about 5 years.

The drum seeder is being adapted in some areas of the province of Oriental Mindoro and the following tables present a comparative study conducted by UPLB, IRRI and the government of Oriental Mindoro with 11 farmer-users.

Table 1: Effect of drum seeding on some farm operations as compared to broadcast seeding (1987 Dry Season, Oriental Mindoro).

Table 2. Effect of drum seeding on seed input and yield compared to broadcast seeding (1987 Dry Season, Oriental Mindoro).

For more technical assistance (drawings and fabrication techniques), contact:

1. Agricultural Engineering Division International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

2. Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP) College of Engineering and Agro-lndustrial Technology (CEAT) University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) College, Laguna, Philippines