Planter to distribute seeds in four-row beds and harvest rainwater

Planting bean and corn in multi-row beds, complemented with rainwater harvesting, has increased grain and dry matter yields. Objective: To design and evaluate a planter to distribute seeds in four-row beds. Methodology: The planter was created based on the design phases of mechanical engineering. Once built, the seed metering and fertilizer system was evaluated on a test bench. The first one was conducted under three conditions and ten operating speeds with bean and corn. The second one was performed under an operating condition with granulated urea. Subsequently, the planter was evaluated in agricultural soil with both species of seed and four forward speeds, and the horizontal distribution of the plants, planting depth and volume of the dikes formed in the soil were determined. Results: On the test bench, it was found that the number of seeds per linear meter of bean and corn was reduced in all three test conditions. In the field, it was observed that the variables evaluated were affected by the operating speed. Study limitations: The planter was only evaluated with corn grains and bean at a maximum speed of 7.5 km∙h-1 on a test bench and at 7 km∙h-1 in the field. Originality: The planter allows seeding four-row beds and, at the same time, forming dikes in the soil to store rainwater. Conclusions: The planter is a viable option to mechanize the corn and bean planting system in four-row beds, for irrigation and rainfed conditions.