What type of seeding equipment will you use for a successful vegetative establishment?

Welcome to the world of Native seed drills, Rangeland drills, Broadcast seeders, Turf seeders, No-Till drills, and Grain drills. Who knew there were so many different shapes, sizes and weights of all these implements? These implements can be pulled with a hitch or lifted with a 3-point hitch using farm tractors. In this article, we will discuss the different types and applications for each seeder. 

Rangeland Drills

Application use is for custom native or forage seed mixes with seed sizes ranging from 80,000 to 1,000,000 seeds per lb. The rangeland drills are used for Fire burn sites, mine sites, pipeline sites, and new construction on commercial development areas.

The rangeland drill was designed to place seeds at a designated depth in the soil along with various row spacings. They are equipped with 1-3 seed boxes for the size and fluffiness of the seed being planted. Most rangeland drills have paddles or augers on the inside of boxes for an even flow of seed. Most have drop tubes and depth bands set to ¼-1/8 of an inch into the soil. Packer wheels and/or chains follow to cover seeds. 

Broadcast Seeders

Application use is for turf, food plots, and forage areas. The seed types are turf grass Kentucky bluegrass turf type tall fescues and Perennial ryes, and forage seed. The size ranges from 230,000 to 2,300,000 seeds per lb. Most broadcast seeders have sweepers on the inside of the box. The seed falls from the inside of the box in between two aprons and falls to the ground. Cultipackers or rollers will cover the seed. The distinguishing difference between a rangeland drill and a broadcast drill is the placement of seeds in the soil. Broadcast drills cannot control the correct depth of seed placement. 

No-Till Drills

These drills are designed to seed into existing vegetation with minimal ground disturbance. They are used to enhance native areas and forage/hay fields. They are set up the same way that a rangeland drill is but two distinguishing differences are the weight of the drill (Heavy) and the slicer disc on the front of the drill to create a thin small row for the seed to fall into. 

Grain Drills

Grain drills’ primary applications are for grains ranging from oats, wheat, barley, and triticale. Slick clean seed. The size of seed ranges from 18,000 to 20,000 seeds per lb. They have drop tubes from the seed box to the planting disc openers. The depth of seed placement can be controlled. The seed boxes are gravity fed and have picker wheels that come up from the bottom of the box and pull the seed down through the seed tubes. 

Conclusion

To ensure a successful revegetation project the right implement will save a lot of money, time and heartburn. If you were to put a native or custom seed mix into the broadcast drill, you will not be able to calibrate or seed the area at a uniform rate due to the seed not flowing through or clogging up within the implement. We at Arkansas Valley Seed are here to help you determine the right implement for your project. 

David Weigand 

Arkansas Valley Seed

CPESC / Agronomist. 

www.avseed.com