THE IMPACT OF MAIZE FRACTION AND TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT FACTORS ON THE WORKING QUALITY OF THE PSK4 SOWING MACHINE

This paper demonstrates the maize sowing quality results obtained at a test bench. The sowing quality determination is illustrated using the sowing quality indices (ISO standard 7256/1 and 7256/2), i.e. the MISS, MULT, and QFI indices. The research examined a sowing-quality influence of four different maize-seed fractions with two hybrids. A sowing simulation was performed with different technical sowing parameters (two vacuum pressures, three working speeds, and four different grain-selector positions).With the aforementioned research parameters, a statistically significant difference was detected pertaining to different grain fractions, grain-selector positions, vacuum pressure and working speed concerning the intrarow grain spacing of both maize hybrids researched. The PSK 4 vacuum sowing machine scored the high sowing quality coefficients (QFI index >98.6%) at a working speed of 4 km h(-1) and with the grain selector positioned at 10 and can be classified in the group of the very good sowing machines. With regard to the H-1 maize hybrid, the average intrarow grain spacing amounted to 19.60 cm, which ensures a set of 72,448 plants per ha, while the set amounted to 72,831 plants per ha (having an average intrarow spacing of 19.51 cm) with regard to the H-2 maize hybrid. Concerning a grain intrarow spacing, a statistically significant difference between the hybrids was determined by the LSD0,05 test.