Precision seeding
Encyclopedia
In agriculture
, precision seeding is a method of seeding that involves placing seed
at a precise spacing and depth. This is in contrast to broadcast seeding
, where seed is scattered over an area.
Although precise hand placement would qualify, precision seeding usually refers to a mechanical process. A wide range of hand-push and powered precision seeders are available for small- to large-scale jobs. Using a variety of actions, they all open the soil, place the seed, then cover it, to create rows. The depth and spacing vary depending on the type of crop and the desired plant density.
In commercial production, precision seeding is an alternative to placing larger quantities of seed in a row, by dribbling seed or setting several seeds in each position. Depending on the device, precision seeders may place only one, or a very few seeds per position. This is an advantage, in that it saves seed and it avoids crowding, or the need for thinning
, allowing plants the space to grow efficiently. On the downside, by placing fewer seeds, a very high germination rate is required to make full use of the seeded area.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, precision seeding is a method of seeding that involves placing seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
at a precise spacing and depth. This is in contrast to broadcast seeding
Broadcast seeding
In agriculture, gardening, and forestry, broadcast seeding is a method of seeding that involves scattering seed, by hand or mechanically, over a relatively large area...
, where seed is scattered over an area.
Although precise hand placement would qualify, precision seeding usually refers to a mechanical process. A wide range of hand-push and powered precision seeders are available for small- to large-scale jobs. Using a variety of actions, they all open the soil, place the seed, then cover it, to create rows. The depth and spacing vary depending on the type of crop and the desired plant density.
In commercial production, precision seeding is an alternative to placing larger quantities of seed in a row, by dribbling seed or setting several seeds in each position. Depending on the device, precision seeders may place only one, or a very few seeds per position. This is an advantage, in that it saves seed and it avoids crowding, or the need for thinning
Thinning
Thinning is a term used in agricultural sciences to mean the removal of some plants, or parts of plants, to make room for the growth of others.- Forestry :...
, allowing plants the space to grow efficiently. On the downside, by placing fewer seeds, a very high germination rate is required to make full use of the seeded area.