What are the different methods of sowing seeds?

Seed sowing is an important task in agriculture. It is the process of sowing the seeds in the soil and germinating to grow into plants. Planting is a process wherein the plant seedlings are put in the soil to grow as a plant. Planting is done with the roots, leaves, cuttings, tubers, and seedlings. Transplanting is the process of planting the seedling that is small plants grown in the nursery to different fields or pot for various purposes. In this article, we will discuss the different methods of sowing.

Different methods of sowing seeds and their advantages and disadvantages

The seeds can be directly sown in the field with different methods or transplanted the seedling from the nursery to the field. The various types of sowing the seeds are as follows.

1. Dibbling –

It is the process of placing the seeds in holes or pits with an equal predetermined distance and required depths. This is done by dibble or planter or manually.

Pros

The germination of plants is uniform and rapid.

The amount of seeds required is very less

Seedling quality is assured.

Cons

More labor-intensive

Expensive method

The time required is very high

2. Broadcasting –

Broadcasting is the process of sowing the seeds by just spreading the seeds around in the soil. The seeds may or may not be covered with the soil. The types of Broadcasting are manual that is done by hand and second by the mechanical feeder.

Pros

Manual Broadcasting is cheap when compared to the mechanical feeder type.

The time required for sowing the seeds is very less.

This method is suitable when the distance between the plants does not matter much and is suitable for small-seeded plants.

Cons

The germination of seeds is uneven

The seeds are not covered by the soil

The crop stand is affected by the uneven distribution of growth

The seed spread is uneven

The depth and density of the crops are not even

3. Transplanting –

In this method the seedlings are grown in the nursery and then from the nursery the small plants are transported to different places in the field.

Pros

The plants with the definite distance between them

The plants are planted with the required depth

There is a uniform distribution of the plants

Cons

The plants are grown in the nursery which requires time for the transplantation

This is a little expensive and time consuming

4. Drilling –

The seeds are dropped in the holes that are drilled by a seed drill or seed-cum-fertilizer drill. The seeds are sown at a uniform distance and then the seeds are covered by the soil. This is done continuously in a row or drilling can be done at a distance which is set and accordingly the rows are made.

Pros

The requirement of seeds are very less

During the drilling activity the fertilizers, manures, and amendments can be applied along with the seeds.

The seeds are sown uniformly and with a definite distance between the plants

Cons

More labor with a lot of efforts is required

It is time-consuming than other methods.

The cost of this method is high.

5. Sowing behind the country plow –

Here in this method, the seeds are applied in the soil after the land or the field is plowed continuously at a specific distance. This is done manually by a person working behind the plow. The depth depends on the depth of the plow.

Pros

The depth of the sowing seeds is assured

The distance between the plants can be maintained

Cons

It is labor-intensive and requires plowing equipment such as plow, cattle, or tractor.

Little expensive

Requires time and effort.

6. Planting –

In this method the seeds or propagules are planted in the soil for germination and growth.

Pros

  • Required distance and depth can be maintained
  • Plants germinate uniformly

Cons

  • Requires roots, leaves, tubers, cuttings and seedlings, etc
  • Efforts and time required
  • Little expensive

The most important part in sowing the seeds is preparing the soil for crop production.

There are three steps in soil preparation are as follows,

  • Plowing –

This is the process where the soil is turned upside down with a certain depth so that the required nutrients for the crops are available easily. The benefits are that the required nutrients are available, there is loosening of soil, growth of microbes and earthworms, and removal of weeds. This is a mandatory activity in almost all crops. The equipment required is a plow, hoe, and cultivator, etc.

  • Leveling –

This is the process that follows the plowing. It is the process of making even spread of soil, by making ridges, furrows and other designs, etc. It helps in equal distribution and uptake of water to all the plants.

  • Manuring –

This is the last stage for soil preparation where organic additions such as cow dung, earthworms, and other chemical fertilizers are added to the soil to enrich the nutrients in the soil. The soil test is done before adding the manure so that the required amount of manure rich in certain chemicals can be added.

Conclusion

This article covers the different types of sowing the seeds and their pros and cons with soil preparation. You need to identify for which crops what type of sowing is required for crops to grow healthily and generate the required produce with desired profits in the crop production business. Happy sowing!!!