Eight requirements to note when using a precision dibble seeder on cotton mulched film

In 2005, our regiment introduced 1 unit of the 2BMJ-12 precision dibble seeder on cotton mulched film produced by the Shihezi Agricultural Machinery Research Institute, and that year trial-sowed 30 hectares. The application of precision dibble sowing technology on cotton mulched film saved costs on seed and manual thinning, and at the same time had advantages such as simple mechanical adjustment and operation, stable performance; and after sowing, the cotton seedlings grew uniformly and neatly. The eight requirements to note when using this machine are introduced below.

1. Requirements for land plowing quality

Plow when soil moisture is suitable, plowing depth reaching 28-30 cm, with consistent plowing depth; no standing or falling back of the turned furrow slices; surface residual stalks and fertilizer well covered; after plowing the surface is level, loose and uniform, reaching the ends and edges.

2. Requirements for soil preparation quality

The quality of soil preparation is crucial to whether precision sowing can be completed with high quality. To ensure soil preparation quality, combined soil preparation machine operations should be fully promoted. Plots for precision sowing must more strictly implement the six-character standard of "moisture, fragmentation, looseness, evenness, levelness, cleanliness."

3. Requirements for cotton seed

The purity of good seed should be above 98%, and the cleanliness above 95%; the cotton seed should be plump, fully mature, with strong germination vigor, and a germination rate above 90%; before sowing, the cotton seed must undergo strict manual grain selection, thorough sunning, electric field treatment, and chemical seed coating.

4. Requirements for field cleanliness

Precision dibble sowing places 1-2 seeds per hole. To reduce the impact of residual film and residual stalks on emergence and sowing quality, it is required to equip a film-piercing roller during soil preparation, and before and after soil preparation to carefully pick up residual stalks and broken film from the surface by hand, cleaning the field.

5. Requirements for the seeder and the operation unit

The technical performance of the precision seeder meets standards and is stable; before sowing, comprehensive technical training should be conducted for unit personnel and professional technical personnel; unit personnel should be familiar with the structural performance, use and adjustment methods, and safety guarantee measures of the precision seeder; farm workers should be thoroughly familiar with sowing quality standards and master inspection methods.

6. Requirements for soil texture

Precision dibble sowing on film places a relatively small amount of seed per hole, and the soil-piercing ability of cotton seedlings in the seed holes is relatively weaker than with conventional sowing. It is advisable to choose plots with relatively loose soil texture such as meadow soil and gray desert soil, which are not prone to hardening when exposed to water, for precision dibble sowing on film, in order to prevent the seed rows from severely hardening after drip irrigation or rain, affecting field emergence.

7. Requirements for sowing operations

1. Requirements for sowing machinery

When the sowing machine is operating, the throttle should be well controlled to ensure the fan speed reaches 4200-4500 rpm; when the unit stops temporarily during work, the power output should not be cut off, and the throttle should not be reduced to too small a position, so as to ensure the fan works normally; if the power output needs to be cut off during field operations for special reasons, when the unit restarts operation, the machine should be backed up 1-2 m to eliminate the broken strip caused by cutting off power; when the machine reaches the end of the field, the accompanying personnel should promptly check through the observation window set on the side cover of the dibble unit whether the seed suction holes of the seed pickup disc are blocked; after each day's work, the machine unit should thoroughly clean the seed pickup chamber of the dibble unit; the seeder should be adjusted properly to meet the agronomic requirements of sowing quality; if mechanical faults occur in the sowing machinery, they should be repaired promptly, and it must not operate "while sick."

2. Requirements for sowing quality

Require sowing rows to be straight, with accurate row spacing and connecting row spacing; film laying flat and stretched, with clear lines and surfaces on the film and sufficient light-receiving surface; film edge pressing depth reaching 5-7 cm, with film edges entering the soil vertically and firmly; the rate of empty holes and floating seeds not exceeding 2%; the rate of misplaced seed holes not exceeding 2%, and seed rows covered with soil and pressed firmly.

8. Requirements for post-sowing management

After sowing, in combination with local weather forecasts, promptly apply drip irrigation for emergence water; after drip irrigation ends or after rain, promptly break up hardening in the seed rows to ensure cotton seedlings emerge on their own; for cotton fields where emergence is difficult, promptly supply a small amount of water and organize labor to release seedlings, and during the seedling release process be sure to be careful so as not to damage the cotton seedlings.