Engineering, Energy, Transport AIC

Dmytro DATSIUK – Doctor of Philosophy, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Engineering Mechanics and Technological Processes in the Agro-Industrial Complex of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University (St. Soniachna, 3, Vinnytsia, Ukraine, 21008, e-mail: datsiuk.vnay@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4614-2245).
Kateryna VASYLKOVSKA – Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General Agriculture, Central Ukrainian National Technical University (University Ave., 8. Kropyvnytskyi, 25006, Ukraine. e-mail: vasilkovskakv@ukr.net, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3524-4027).

This article presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies on the sowing process of small-seeded crops using a selective seeder equipped with an electromechanical sowing apparatus with adjustable structural parameters. Particular attention is given to improving the uniformity of seed distribution in the flow, which is critical in breeding seed production where accuracy and consistency of sowing directly affect the quality of field research and the reliability of breeding outcomes.
The study employs a comprehensive approach that includes numerical modeling of seed flow in the STAR-CCM+ software environment, analytical substantiation of the influence of the guiding surface inclination angle β and divergence angle γ on the throughput of the apparatus, as well as experimental verification of the obtained data. As a result, second-order two-factor regression models were constructed to assess the dependence of the variation coefficient of throughput capacity on changes in the structural parameters of the sowing apparatus.
The proposed technical solutions reduce the coefficient of variation to minimal values, ensuring high accuracy and uniformity of seed delivery into the sowing channels. This, in turn, improves early plant development, reduces interplant competition, and enhances the efficiency of using breeding material. The research findings have practical significance for improving the design of seeders intended for research and breeding purposes and can be implemented in the operations of agricultural research institutions.
Additionally, the research identifies the optimal operating parameters of the electromechanical sowing apparatus that ensure stable seed flow under varying vibration conditions and seed sizes typical for small-seeded crops. The results of parametric optimization indicate that adjusting the rotor speed and the amplitude of oscillation of the guiding surface allows maintaining a consistent seed trajectory and minimizing losses during dosing. The implementation of the developed model in experimental prototypes demonstrated improvement in the uniformity of seed distribution compared to conventional mechanical systems, confirming the efficiency of the proposed design solutions for high-precision sowing technologies.

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