Agricultural seeder: Seven common errors and how to avoid them

The agricultural seeder is one of the main pillars of the grain sowing yield. It ensures the precise placement of the seeds to the soil, following the proper depth, spacing, and metering — factors that directly influence on the uniform emergence and crop field yield.

Despite the technologies integrated to the most recent models, such as the Stara seeders, it’s still common to find operating failures when sowing.

Most of times, these mistakes are related to poor adjustments, poor preventive maintenance or even to the improper implement speeds that impair the correct placement of the seeds.

In this content, we gathered the most frequent errors when using the agricultural seeders and you’ll see some practical instructions on how to avoid them. Check it out:

1. Wrong metering: the importance of the correct amount

One of the most frequent mistakes in the field is the incorrect metering of the seeds. When more or less than the required is set up, there is no uniformity of the plant standing, impacting directly on yield.

In addition to impairing the germination, the excess of seeds results in competition for light, water, and nutrients. On the other hand, the shortage of seeds leads to failures in the row unit, impairing the final yield of the crop field.

To avoid this issue, it’s crucial to correctly calibrate the seeder before starting the operation and doing metering tests. On-board agricultural technologies, such as the ones found on the Stara seeders and planters help with the automatic control of the rate, reducing human failures and providing higher precision.

2. Improper placement: when the seed placement is not followed

Another critical point is the improper location of the seeds in the planting row unit. The mistake may occur as much in the spacing between the seeds as in the placement depth.

When there is no uniformity, the emergence of plants becomes uniform, which makes the crop field management difficult and impairs the absorption of the resources applied.

Implements with individual row unit cutting systems and on-board sensors, such as the seeders equipped with the Stara Topper Controller allow the agricultural machine operator to see the seed placement in real time and correct the wrong placement quickly to ensure better planting uniformity.

3. Irregular depth: the risk to impair the emergence

The precise planting depth needs to be adjusted according to the soil type, crop, and moisture. When the depth is too shallow, the seed may not have the proper contact with the soil. If it is too deep, it spends more energy to emerge or not even germinating.

This mistake directly affects the initial stage of the crop field. To prevent the issue, it’s necessary to observe the soil conditions and do previous tests.

Depth control systems and the smart distribution of the row unit load — found in models such as the Stara Guapita — enable a higher precise and constant adjustment, even on bumpy terrains.

4. Agricultural machines maintenance: what can go wrong with the seeder

Worn-out components, discs with gaps, poor-contact sensors, and lack of lubrication are frequent causes of operating failures during the seeding.

The preventive maintenance, before the harvest, is crucial to ensure that the seeder is ready to operate efficiently. It includes the distribution mechanisms inspection, hydraulic and electronic systems checking, and the replacement of worn-out parts.

5. Improper speed: when being in a hurry impairs the planting

High speed sowing may look an advantage when it comes to yield per hour, but it impairs the operation quality. The machine loses stability, being hard to reach seed placement uniformity.

Each crop and soil type requires an ideal speed range. The agricultural machine operator should follow these recommendations and consider the machine capacity.

6. Get to know the crop type

The crop type you are about to sow impacts directly on the good usage of the agricultural machine. When using the seeders to sow wheat, for instance, there are various strategical factors to be consider, such as:

the proper choice of the seeds;
soil preparation;
lubrication;
cleaning;
proper storage of the machine.

How to reduce losses with seeders sowing wheat?

The agronomist engineer and Stara Marketing Coordinator, Thomas Liska explains:

The best way to reduce the sowing losses in the winter is having a precise adjustment of the depth and pressure of the row units, preventing the seeds from being exposed on the soil.

Using Topper with the shutdown of the row units, for example, also contributes for seed savings, avoiding overlap in areas sowed already.

7. Differences between pneumatic and mechanical seeders: specific errors

Each type of seeder demands specific care during usage. For pneumatic seeders, the seed transport system is carried out by means of the air flow. It requires extra attention of conditions of the filters, sealing and sensors. Any clogging or system failure may impair the placement precision.

The mechanical seeders operate by means of gears, meter units, and shafts. For this reason, they require frequent adjustment and inspection for gaps or wear that can affect the spacing and distribution rate. It’s common that minor mistakes in these adjustments result in overlap or planting row unit failures.

Understanding these differences and apply the proper care to each system is crucial to ensure the sowing efficiency, avoid losses and ensure the equipment lifespan.

Conclusion

The sowing efficiency depends on technical, operating, and strategical factors. Avoiding the most common errors is the first step to guarantee a uniform, healthy and productive crop field.

Thanks to the proper maintenance, correct adjustments, and the support of on-board technologies — such as the ones found on the Stara seeders — the farmer is provided with precision, reduces losses and strengthen the investment return to the field.