• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.420-425
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• 2018

Purpose: Chemical fertilizers contribute to agricultural productivity. Annually, 450,000 tons of chemical fertilizers are used in Korea, which is 268 kg per hectare (MAFRA, 2016). However, excessive use causes problems such as environmental pollution and soil acidification. This study proposes use conditions for a fertilizer distributor that can reduce excessive fertilization by analyzing distribution patterns. Methods: This study analyzed fertilizer application uniformity according to the number of blades on a centrifugal fertilizer distributor (three or four blades), orifice gate open ratio (50 or 100%), and blade rotation speed (400, 500, or 600 rpm). Results: When using four blades, the coefficient of variation (CV) was lower than when using three by 11-13% points, and the CV using the 50% open ratio was 10-30% points lower than using the 100% open ratio. The CV at 500 rpm blade rotating speed was 9-12% points lower than that for 400 and 600 rpm. Conclusions: The CV with four blades, 50% orifice gate open ratio, and 500 rpm of blade rotating speed was 18.4%, which provided the most uniform fertilization.