A seed orientation apparatus and system has a seed transfer tube that receives randomly oriented seeds from an agricultural row planter seed meter and moves seeds from a seed collector to a curved pathway in a seed orientation coil assembly. The seed orientation coil assembly uses some combination of aerodynamics, centrifugal force, and path geometry to align the seed. The aligned seed is stabilized and entrained in an air stream and is subsequently discharged into a wedge-shaped furrow, detrained from the air stream, and wedged in the furrow before being covered by a closing wheel, thereby planting the aligned seed into the soil while achieving tip-down seed orientation with the germ facing an adjacent row. The seed orientation apparatus and system may be retrofitted onto existing planter row units. A method of planting is also described.

In one embodiment, an air seeder tower includes a valve with an actuator, and a closed loop feedback control with a sensor to control actuation of the valve to control air flow out of the air seeder vent tower.

A multiple variety seed meter for multi-variety row crop planting a segmented feed pipe system that may include a feed pipe with multiple passages that can be rotated to present one of multiple variety openings toward a seed pool in the seed meter to deliver a specific seed variety into the seed meter. The feed pipe may be an inner selector pipe concentrically nested for rotation in an outer sleeve that extends into the seed meter.

A metering system includes a plurality of metering elements that are independently controllable. A calibration method of the present disclosure includes generating calibration factors for the individual metering elements. Also, a method of the present disclosure includes operating the metering elements according to the respective calibration factor.

The present invention provides a plenum configured to evenly separate and distribute airflow generated by a fan into distribution lines of an agricultural machine. The plenum can utilize angled vanes symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged to form plenum chambers to provide a balanced airflow which contributes to maximizing fan efficiency, including power consumption and performance (airflow and static pressure). Accordingly, the plenum can be configured to separate the airflow and minimize imbalance between the lines during sectional control. The plenum height can be maintained for increased manufacturability and to prevent additional expansion. The plenum length can be configured within allowable space constraints of the machine yet allow airflow to develop upon separation into the lines. Vanes throughout the span of the plenum initially divide the airflow from the fan and maintain separation until the outlets.

An inductor apparatus includes an inductor assembly mounted under a seed container such that seeds flow into a reservoir. An air conduit carrying pressurized air extends along the reservoir. Seed channels extend from an inlet located above a pickup air opening in the air conduit to an outlet, and a bypass channel extends downward from each seed channel through an upper wall of the air conduit. A pickup air stream flowing out the pickup air opening forms a seed air stream entrained with seeds flowing into each seed channel inlet and a bypass air stream flows from the air conduit through each bypass channel into each seed channel and the combined seed and bypass air streams flow out the seed channel outlets. The seed channel outlets can be arranged along each side of the inductor assembly, and the rate of flow of the bypass air stream can be adjusted.

Agricultural implements are used to transport material, such as inputs in the form of fertilizer, seed, treatment, or some combination thereof, to row units that apply the material to an area of a field. Metering systems can aid in metering and providing a desired amount of material, such as on-demand, to the row units. The metering systems move the metered material to the row units, such as with pneumatics or other fluids. The metering system can be improved by having primary and secondary nozzles of different sizes, which aid in increasing the speed of the fluid moving the material towards the row units. For example, a smaller diameter for the secondary nozzle will provide improved suction and air speed.

An air distribution system for a seed cart provides for improved air flow distribution upon identification of a turning event. The seed cart may have a fan operable to create an air stream. A set of primary tubes coupled to the fan may receive separate portions of the air stream from the fan. A distribution manifold may have a first plurality of passages therethrough and a second plurality of passages therethrough. A restrictor assembly may comprise a first end, a second end oppositely disposed from the first end, and a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets disposed therebetween. The restrictor assembly may have a plurality of restriction components. Restriction of air flow proximate the first end is different than the restriction of air flow proximate the second end.

The invention relates to a distribution device (10) for granular material, in particular seed, having: a distributor housing (24) which has a material inlet opening (16) for the granular material; at least one conveying air duct (26a, 26b), situated in the distributor housing (24), for a material-free conveying air flow, the conveying air duct (26a, 26b) being connected within the distributor housing (24) to a grain-holding region (30, 30a, 30b) within which the granular material entering the distributor housing (24) via the material inlet opening (16) can be introduced into the material-free conveying air flow; one or more material flow lines (18a, 18b, 32, 32a, 32b), which adjoin the grain-holding region (30, 30a, 30b), for the conveying air flow laden with granular material; and at least one additional air duct (34), which is situated in the distributor housing (24), for a material-free additional air flow, which can be introduced into the one or more material flow lines (18a, 18b, 32, 32a, 32b) via at least one additional air inlet (38a, 38b).

An agricultural implement includes a longitudinally extending frame configured to be coupled to a tractor, a first elongate toolbar extending laterally outward from the frame and carrying a first row unit, a second elongate toolbar extending laterally outward the frame and carrying a second row unit, a first sensor configured to sense a position of the first row unit relative to ground, a second sensor configured to sense a position of the second row unit relative to the ground, a first actuator configured to rotate the first elongate toolbar relative to the frame based at least in part on the sensed position of the first row unit, and an actuator configured to rotate the second elongate toolbar relative to the frame based at least in part on the sensed position of the second row unit. Control systems and related methods are also disclosed.