PERFORMANCE OF HELICAL METERING MECHANISMS IN THE APPLICATION OF MICROGRANULAR FERTILIZER

ABSTRACT The use of microgranular fertilizers is currently increasing, with low application rates as an obstacle in the mechanization. This study aimed to verify the performance of helical metering mechanisms using microgranular fertilizer. Four different fertilizer-metering mechanisms were tested at two pre-established dose rates (35 and 50 kg ha−1) and seven longitudinal angles (−15°, −10°, −5°, 0°, +5°, +10°, and +15°). The experiment was carried out according to Brazilian standards. The results showed that the longitudinal inclination affects the actual fertilizer dose in al...