Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
Mechanical sugarcane planters simultaneously perform ploughing, fertiliser application, seedling metering and furrow covering operations. This study aimed to evaluate the billet metering quality and uniformity of a sugarcane planter and the total damage to buds. The experimental design used was completely randomised in a 2 x2 factorial arrangement totalling four treatments, which consisted of two planting speeds (5.0 and 6.5 km h-1) and two conveyor belt rotation speeds (50 and 100%, which corresponds to 45 and 85 rpm, respectively, in the conveyor belt pulley), with 20 replicates per treatment. The following parameters were evaluated: number of billets m-1, total buds m-1, viable buds m-1 and damaged buds (%). The planter metering mechanism exhibited uniform billet metering with low bud damage (5.9%). The increase in working speed decreased the number of billets (9.7 m-1), total buds (22.9 m-1) and viable buds (18.5 m-1). Furthermore, the increase in conveyor belt rotation speed also increased these parameters.
Key words: Statistical process control, agricultural mechanisation, planting speed, Saccharum officinarum.
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