Methods of Seed Sowing

Sowing (or seed sowing) is defined as the process of placing the seed in soil to germinate
and grow into plant.
In comparison, planting is the putting the plant propagules in soil for growing plants.
Propagules can be seedlings, roots, tubers, leaves, or cuttings.
And transplanting is term used for the planting the seedling grown into nursery to
different field, pot or plot for different purposes.

Methods of Sowing: The sowing method is determined by the crop to be sown. There are 6
sowing methods which differ in their merits, demerits and adoption. Those are: 
1. Broad casting, 2. Broad or Line sowing, 3. Dibbling, 4. Transplanting
5. Planting, 6.Putting seeds behind the plough. 7) Pit Plantation 8)
Furrow Sowing 9) Bed Plantation

1. Broad casting: Broadcasting is one of the oldest and most common methods of seed
sowing. It is the scattering of seeds by hand all over the prepared field followed by covering
with wooden plank or harrow for contact of seed with soil. Crops like wheat, paddy,
Sesamum, methi, coriander, etc. are sown by this method.
Advantages:
1) Quickest & cheapest method 2) Skilled labour is not uniform.
3) Implement is not required, 4) Followed in moist condition.
5) Only suitable for small seeded & crops where plant to plant distance is small or doesn’t matter

Disadvantages:           
1) Seed requirement is more,  2) Crop stand is not uniform.
3) Result in gappy germination & defective wherever the adequate moisture is not present in
the soil.
4) Spacing is not maintained within rows & lines, hence interculturing is difficult.

2.Drilling or Line sowing: It is the dropping of seeds into the soil with the help of
implement such as seed drill, seed-cum-ferti driller or mechanical seed drill and then the
seeds are covered by wooden plank or harrow to have contact between seed & soil. Seeds can
be drilled continuously in a row or drilling can be done at set distances. Rows can be set
according to requirements..Crops like Jowar, wheat Bajara, etc. are sown by this method.
Advantages: 
1) Seeds are placed at proper & uniform depths, 
2) Along the rows, interculturing and manuring can be done, 
3) Uniform row to row spacing is maintained, 
4) Seed requirement is less than ‘broad casting’ 
5) Sowing is done at proper moisture level.
6) Rapid germination and uniform plant population per unit area
Disadvantages: 
1) Require implement for sowing,costly  2) Wattar condition is must. 
3) Plant to plant spacing is not maintained, 4) Skilled person is required for sowing.

3. Dibbling: It is the placing or dibbling of seeds at cross marks (+) or holes made in the field
with the help of maker as per the requirement of the crop in both the directions. It is done
manually or by dibbler or planter. This method is followed in crops like Groundnut, Castor,
and Hy. Cotton, etc. which are having bold size and high value.
Advantages: 
1) Spacing between rows & plants is maintained, 
2) Seeds can be dibbled at desired depth in the moisture zone, 
3) Optimum plant population can be maintained, 
4) Seed requirement is less than other method, 
5) Implement is not required for sowing, 
6) An intercrop can be taken in wider spaced crops, 
7) Cross wise Intercultivation is possible. 
Disadvantages: 
1) Laborious & time consuming method, 
2) Require more labour, hence increase the cost of cultivation, 
3) Only high value & bold seeds are sown,  4) Require strict supervision.

4. Transplanting: Transplanting is the practice of planting seedlings in main field after

pulling out from the nursery. It is the raising of seedlings on nursery beds and transplanting
of seedlings in the laid out field. For this, seedlings are allowed to grow on nursery beds for
about 3-5 weeks. Beds are watered one day before the transplanting of nursery to prevent jerk
to the roots. The field is irrigated before actual transplanting to get the seedlings established
early & quickly which reduce the mortality.This method is followed in crops like paddy,
fruit, vegetable, crops, tobacco, etc.

1) It is done to reduce the main field duration of the crops thus allowing multiple crops
per year.
2) initial cost of cultivation of crop can be saved
3) Extra care can be provided for specific seedlings.
4) It is done for small seeded crops like rice which requires shallow sowing and frequent
irrigation for proper germination.

5. Planting: Planting is the placement of seeds or propagules firmly in the soil for

germination and growth. It is the placing of vegetative part of crops which are vegetatively
propagated in the laid out field. E.g.: Tubers of Potato, mother sets of ginger & turmeric,
cuttings of sweet potato & grapes, sets of sugarcane.

6. Putting seeds behind the plough: It is dropping of seeds behind the plough in the furrow
with the help of manual labour by hand. This method is followed for crops like wal or gram
in some areas for better utilization of soil moisture. The seeds are covered by successive
furrow opened by the plough. This method is not commonly followed for sowing of the
crops.

7) Ring/pit method of planting

A new technology was recently developed at UAF in which sugarcane is planted in 100X100
cm pits, 50 cm apart with a seeding density of 30 two budded sets per pit, instead of standard
90 cm apart double row strip planting system with a planting density of about 10 two budded
sets per square meter. Pits were dug to a depth of 60 cm and refilled to a depth of 45 cm with
same soil along with 5 kg of well rotted FYM per pit mixed with soil. Pits were irrigated
using basin method. Fertilizer @150:100:100 kg NPK/ha was placed inside the pit.
Merits

1. Less irrigation water is require

2. Nutrient use efficiency is enhanced due to localized placement

3. Increase the opportunity of employment generation

4. Higher sugarcane yield of plant cane as well as ratoon

5. Prevent lodging both for plant cane and multi ratoons

Limitations

1. Availability of pit digger machine for making ring/pit in the fields

2. More requirement of labours for manual pit making, mixing of manure and fertilizer with
soil in the pit, covering of set with soil
8) Sowing in furrows:
After proper seed bed preparation the seed is dropped in furrows behind the country plough
by hand (Kerri method). Some times a funnel attached with an iron pipe in the hand of plough
(pora/nai method) and the seed is dropped at desired depth and spacing for obtaining
satisfactory germination.
9) Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB):
 This method has been evolved to economize irrigation water in which raised beds of
prepared to accommodate between two furrows (2 or 3 rows of wheat). The irrigation is done
only in furrows. Thus about half of the irrigation required may be saved by this method
without any loss to the productivity of wheat grain. This method helps in economizing water
required by the crop besides giving better germination.

Advantages:

1. Rauni Irrigation is not required. Sowing can be done prior to first irrigation.
Germination is better on beds and ridges.

2. No crop losses when rainfall occurs within 2-3 DAS. Continuous rain can not harm
the crop as water is collected in furrows.

3. Water is saved. In bed-and-furrow case, water saving is 30-50% and can go upto 75%.

4. Seeds are better conserved (i.e. not washed out).

5. Furrow provide better crop germination when soil is saline.

Disadvantages:

1. Labour requirement. A lot of labour is required thus expenditures do increase.

2. Sowing is difficult when it has to be done manually.

3. Access to implements such as bed-and-furrow shaper is often difficult and foremost

expensive to buy.