Effect of Coatings on Physical and Engineering Properties of Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Seeds in relation to the Planter Design

摘要

The biometric properties of seeds play an important role in designing seed metering device. Physical and engineering properties of carrot seed both uncoated S_1 and coated with biogas slurry S_2 and Thirame S3 were evaluated in the laboratory. The average length and breadth of the uncoated, slurry coated and Thirame coated seed were 2.90 ± 0.58 and 0.96 ± 0.2 mm; 3.01 ± 0.45 and 1.02 ± 0.1 mm; 2.77 ± 0.69 and 1.40 ± 0.42 mm, respectively. Biogas slurry coating enhanced the length and breadth, mean diameter of seed with 5 % level of significance. Roundness and sphericity of uncoated, slurry coated and Thirame coated seed were 48.82 ± 0.33 and 34.57 ± 0.34; 30.75 ± 0.27 % and 34.4 ± 0.41; 44.12 ± 0.42 % and 33.3 ± 0.21 %, respectively. Mean diameter was maximum for Thirame coated seed S_3 (1.33 ± 0.26mm) followed by slurry coated seed S_2 (1.23 ± 0.18 mm), and uncoated seed S_1 (1.17 ± 0.11 mm), respectively. Thousand seed weight, W 1,000 of S_1, S_2 and S_3 was 1.63 ± 0.13 g, 2.15 ± 0.6 g and 3.77 ± 0.50 g, respectively. Percent increment in 1,000 seed weight of S_2 was 24.03 due to biogas slurry coating and the W 1,000 of S_3 was highest, which was 56.37 percent higher than the uncoated seed S_1. Angle of repose and static coefficient of friction for mild steel surface were 35.3 ± 14.1° and 0.73 ± 0.05; 36.13 ± 10.8° and 0.74 ± 0.03; 36.46 ± 13.1° and 0.78 ± 0.1 for uncoated seed S_1, slurry coated seed S_2 and Thirame coated seed S_3, respectively.