Effect of Rhizobium Coating on Physical and Engineering Properties of Chickpea Seed

The Rhizobium bio fertilizer coating may influence on the physical and engineering properties of chickpea seed. The metering mechanism, hopper design and hose pipes of seed drill was designed based up on the physical and engineering properties of Rhizobium coated seeds. The study was conducted to determine the physical and engineering properties viz., length, breadth, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, seed weight, bulk density, angle of repose and coefficient of static friction of uncoated, and bio-fertilizer coated chickpea seeds for design of Aqu-ferti seed drill. The hopper of seed drill was designed based up on the angle of repose and coefficient of static friction of biofertilizer coated chickpea seeds. The physical properties of chickpea seeds plays very important role in design of hopper, hose pipe and metering mechanism of seed drill The physical properties viz., Length, breadth and thickness of the uncoated and bio-fertilizer coated chickpea seeds were 9.01±0.62 mm, 7.059±0.69 mm, 6.57±0.54 mm and 9.06±0.44 mm, 7.144±0.90 mm, 6.9±0.22 mm, respectively. Roundness and sphericity of uncoated and bio-fertilizers coated chickpea seeds were 87.23 ±2.13%, 87.36±2.72% and 81.6±3.07%, 82±4.15%, respectively. Bulk density of uncoated and bio fertilizer coated seeds were 0.629±0.02 g/cc and 0.641± 0.03 g/cc, respectively. Geometric mean diameters of uncoated and coated seeds were 7.32±0.45 mm and 7.33±.45 mm, respectively. The hopper of seed drill was designed based up on the angle of repose of mild steel which influences on free flow of sesds. The angle of repose for mild steel surface was observed as 26.9±5.61 and 29.51±4.23 degree for uncoated and bio-fertilizer coated chickpea seeds, respectively.