The influence of planting speed of a maize vacuum planter on plant spacing variability and ear parameters

Petrović, Igor (author), Vučajnk, Filip (author), Trdan, Stanislav (author), Bernik, Rajko (author), Vidrih, Matej (author)

Planting speed has an important impact on plant spacing variability and also grain yield. In a two-year study, the effects of planting speeds of 6, 9, and 12 km/h on maize plant spacing and, consequently, ear parameters were investigated. We wanted to determine whether increasing the planting speed increases the plant spacing parameters and what effects this has on ear parameters and grain yield. In both experimental years, no differences between the three planting speeds were found in terms of mean plant spacing, plant density, the multiple index, and the miss index. However, the standard deviation of reference spacings and precision increased with the increase in planting speed from 6 to 12 km/h. In 2022, the differences between plant spacings measured using UAV photogrammetry and manual measurements were smaller (<1 cm) than in 2023. The plant spacing data obtained from 3D point clouds show a strong correlation (r = 0.97) with the manual measurements for all three planting speeds. The proposed method is suitable for measuring plant spacing in maize. In 2022, no differences appeared in grain yield and ear parameters between the planting speeds; however, in 2023, the grain yield and kernel mass per ear were greater at planting speeds of 6 and 9 km/h than at a planting speed of 12 km/h in 2023. Individual ear analysis in 2023 showed an increase of 0.73 g in kernel mass per plant with a 1 cm increase in plant spacing, resulting in a 58 kg/ha yield increase.

• Language: English
• Keywords: planting speed, plant spacing variability, unmanned aerial vehicle, yield parameters, maize
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty; FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 2, art. 462
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167375
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy15020462
• COBISS.SI-ID: 226548995
• Publication date in RUL: 18.02.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Agronomy
• Publisher: AG
• ISSN: 2073-4395
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522953241

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: hitrost sejanja, vakuumske sejalnice, razmik med rastlinami, pridelek, koruza

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0092
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0263
• Name: Mehanika v tehniki