Method and apparatus for determining the number of seeds per unit weight in a seed sample

Abstract

The correct plant population is obtained by utilizing a method and apparatus for determining the number of seeds per unit weight in a sample number of seeds representative of the type of seeds to be planted. A seed sorter comprising a plurality of stacked sieves is utilized to sort the sample into groups according to seed size. Each group can then be individually weighed to obtain a weight which is multiplied by an associated constant representing the average number of seeds per unit weight for the size range. The product is the average number of seeds per sieve which numbers are totalled and divided by the sample weight to obtain the average number of seeds per unit weight. If no weighing scale is available, the user can individually count the number of seeds in each group and divide by the associated constant to obtain the weight per size range for the sample. The weights are added and divided into the total number of seeds in the sample to obtain the average number of seeds per unit weight. Each of the sieves is generally cylindrical in shape with an open top and an apertured bottom wall. A cup-shaped bottom below the bottom one of the sieves receives material small enough to pass through the apertures in the bottom sieve and a lid is releasably attached at the open top of the uppermost sieve by a generally U-shaped wire closure means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.