Effects of various no-till seeders and stubble conditions on sowing performance and seed emergence of common vetch

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of no-till seeders with different furrow openers, stubble heights and positions on soil bulk density, cone index, sowing performance and seed emergence of common vetch seed. Three different types of no-till seeders (hoe, disc and wing hoe type openers) were used on two different stubble heights (short and long) and two different stubble positions (standing and flat). Obtained results concluded that the no-till seeders with hoe-type furrow opener provided better sowing performance and seed emergence in comparison to the no-till seeders with disc- and wing hoe-type furrow openers. The highest emergence percentage in the study was obtained using no-till seeder with hoe-type furrow openers (77.13%). The minimum dry bulk density (1.18 and 1.23 Mg m(-3) in 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers, respectively) and penetration resistance (0.75 MPa and 0.81 MPa in 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers, respectively) values of soil were observed at the plot sowing using no-till seeder with wing hoe type furrow opener. In addition to these, the best results of sowing performance and seed emergence were observed at the plots with short and standing stubble conditions. The emergence percentage decreased with the increase in the stubble height (76.15% and 69.31% at 12 cm and 24 cm stubble heights, respectively). (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.