Modification and Evaluation of Manual Seed Planter

This project contains the construction of a modified seed planter, the machine is constructed to be operated manually to reduce laborious and uneconomically practice that is characterized by the local planting method. The desired revolution of the planter to plant crops, such as maize, beans and groundnut was achieved by rising the shearing bar up and when working by the time the seed are loaded into the hopper. The modified planter has the capacity of planting 300 seeds at a distance of 10.5m per 37.5sec, at drop of two seed per hole with interval of 560mm or 0.56m as compared to the initial machine of the same capacity planting 300 seeds per 60sec. The furrow opener enables the machine to open soil after the seed have been dropped into the open soil. With respect to each reciprocates force as compared to the initial design having dual droplet disc, appropriate factor of safety and tolerances were made for reliable, safe construction and operation of the machine members. All components of the planter were constructed based on some standard extractor configuration and manufacturing techniques. Relative performance test was carried out with existing standard, both in efficiency and cost via testing the efficiency of the initial planter was 72 % which the modified planter is 79.2 %. From all indication of testing it was confirmed that the modified planter is economically viable for optimum planting operation to peasant farmers which will be of great help to improve their services in planting