System and method for dispensing seeds and treatment

A system for dispensing both seeds and a treatment in a furrow along a direction of travel, the system comprising:

• a pair of discs comprising first and second angularly-oriented discs configured to create the furrow;
• a first tube coupled with a first container containing the seeds, the first tube having a first outlet and configured to periodically dispense one or more of the seeds via the first outlet into the furrow;
• a second tube coupled with a second container containing the treatment, the second tube having an upper end, a lower end, and a second outlet at the lower end, wherein the second outlet is configured to dispense the treatment via the second outlet into the furrow, and wherein the second tube includes a nozzle connected to the second outlet and positioned immediately forward of the first outlet with respect to the direction of travel;
• a first electronically controlled valve located at the upper end of the second tube so as to be positioned substantially outside of the furrow during operation and configured to control movement of the treatment from the second container into the second tube;
• and
• a second valve located at the lower end of the second tube so as to be positioned substantially inside of the furrow during operation and configured to control release of the treatment in the second tube from the second outlet, wherein the second valve is a check valve configured to open and close in response to a pressure exerted by the treatment in the second tube,
• wherein the second valve is positioned adjacent to the second outlet to reduce cavitation of the treatment dispensed from the second tube, wherein each of the second outlet and the second valve is positioned directly between the pair of discs, and wherein each of the second outlet and the second valve is positioned below a center of the pair of discs and located closer to a bottom edge of the pair of discs than the center of the pair of discs.

An agricultural seeding system for dispensing both seeds and a treatment along a direction of travel, the system comprising:

• a plurality of seeding units, with each seeding unit including a pair of discs comprising first and second angularly-oriented discs configured to create a furrow, and each seeding unit configured to dispense both the seeds and the treatment into the furrow, and each seeding unit including
• a first tube coupled with a first container containing the seeds, the first tube having a first outlet and configured to periodically dispense one or more of the seeds via the first outlet,
• a second tube coupled with a second container containing the treatment, the second tube having an upper end, a lower end, and a second outlet at the lower end, and configured to dispense the treatment via the second outlet, wherein the second outlet is positioned forward of the first outlet with respect to the direction of travel;
• a first electronically controlled valve located at the upper end of the second tube so as to be positioned outside of the furrow during operation and configured to control movement of the treatment from the second container into the second tube, and
• a second valve located at the lower end of the second tube so as to be positioned inside of the furrow during operation and configured to control release of the treatment in the second tube from the second outlet, wherein the second valve is a check valve configured to open and close in response to a pressure exerted by the treatment in the second tube,
• wherein the second valve is positioned adjacent to the second outlet to reduce cavitation of the treatment dispensed from the second tube, wherein each of the second outlet and the second valve is positioned directly between the pair of discs, wherein each of the second outlet and the second valve is positioned below a center of the pair of discs, and wherein the first tube passes rearward of the center of the pair of discs and the second tube passes forward of the center of the pair of discs.