Design and test of a novel converging groove-guided seed tube for precision seeding of maize

In precision seeding operations, the irregular shapes of maize seed particles and the suboptimal geometric structure of the seed tube contribute to the rolling and bouncing of seeds upon falling into the furrow, ultimately compromising seeding uniformity. To address this issue, a convergent groove-guided (CGG) seed tube was proposed based on the principle of brachistochrone curve considering friction (BCCF). The discrete element method (DEM) was employed to conduct a comprehensive phenomenological analysis and numerical investigation of particle guide characteristics. Bench tests and field experiments were designed to verify the simulation results. Through response surface analysis, the optimal seeding performance was achieved at a groove angle of 111.34°, tube incline angle of 1.56°, and ground speed of 7.2 km h⁻¹, resulting in a lateral dispersion landing range of 11.10 mm, angular velocity of 17.38 rad s⁻¹, seed landing speed variation coefficient of 2.29%, and plant spacing variation coefficient of 6.04%. Bench test results unveiled that, under a ground speed of 7.2 km h⁻¹, the variation coefficient of plant spacing for CGG seed tubes was measured at 7.63%, with a deviation of 1.59% from the simulation results. At high ground speeds of 9.0–14.4 km h⁻¹, the seed guiding performance was also better than traditional seed tubes. Consistent results were also verified through field experiments. Therefore, the CGG seed tube manifested superior seed guidance efficacy when juxtaposed with its conventional counterpart, and this design can provide technical support for the realization of seed-to-ground positioning technology.