Precision air planter for plot planting

A metering unit for a seed planter comprising:

• a generally circular seed plate having an axis of rotation, first and second sides and inner and outer seed systems arranged in concentric rings about said axis of rotation;
• said seed systems each having a plurality of apertures extending from said first side to said second side through said seed plate, each for receiving and carrying a seed;
• a divider vane in communication with said first side of said seed plate and presenting inner and outer arcuate channels corresponding to said inner and outer seed systems for separating said seed systems;
• inner and outer seed sumps in communication with said first side of said seed plate within said inner and outer channels for retaining seed in communication with said first side of said seed plate;
• and
• a diverter tube for selectively delivering seed to said seed sumps.

A calibration method utilized with a planter for associating a rotary encoder count with a button spacing comprising:

• initiating a calibration routine;
• prompting the user to enter a button spacing and a cells per ring value;
• calculating a plate load cell count from an angular spacing between said cells and a predetermined angular plate load distance;
• clearing a rotary encoder counter and a cell encoder counter in response to receiving a first button signal;
• setting a button counter to an initial value;
• while a next button signal has not been received, iteratively performing the following steps a-c:
• a. incrementing said rotary encoder counter in response to receiving a signal from a rotary encoder;
• b. if said cell encoder counter is less than said plate load cell count, then performing the following step:
• incrementing said cell encoder counter in response to receiving a signal from a cell encoder;
• c. if said cell encoder counter is equal to said plate load cell count, then performing the following step:
• setting a plate load encoder count equal to said cell encoder counter;
• incrementing said button counter;
• calculating a calibration factor from said rotary encoder counter;
• storing said calibration factor and said plate load;
• calculating a plate load distance from said plate load encoder count, said rotary encoder counter and said button spacing;
• and
• storing said plate load distance.

A method of planting seed with a planter comprising:

• prompting a user to input planting parameters;
• resetting a controller to an initial state;
• positioning a diverter to generally align with an outer seed tube;
• closing inner and outer vacuum cutoff shoes to disrupt a vacuum to inner and outer seed rings on a seed plate;
• closing inner and outer seed sumps;
• prompting said user to deposit seed in said diverter to deliver said seed through said outer seed tube to said outer seed sump;
• monitoring the position of said planter until reaching a plot start position, then performing the following steps:
• a. opening said outer shoe to apply a vacuum to said outer seed ring;
• b. positioning said diverter to align with an inner seed tube;
• and
• C. incrementing a plot number counter;
• monitoring the position of said planter until reaching a plot starting position plus a plate load distance, then performing the following step:
• d. while not at an end of plot position, performing the following steps:
• e. counting seeds deposited into a planting seed tube;
• and
• f. counting cells on said seed plate;
• opening said outer seed sump to discharge excess seed;
• monitoring the position of said planter until all seed has been singulated, then closing said outer seed sump and said outer vacuum cutoff shoe;
• and
• after said planter has traveled a distance equivalent to said plate load distance from the end of plot, stopping counting said cells and said seeds and storing said seed counts and plot data.