Seed Drill

Invented by : Jethro Tull

Invented in year : 1701

A seed drill is a sowing device. The seed drill allows farmers to sow seeds in well-spaced rows at specific depths at a specific seed rate; each tube creates a hole of a specific depth, drops in a seed, and covers it over. Before the invention farmers planted the seeds by carrying the seeds in a bag and walking up and down the field throwing or broadcasting the seed. They broadcast the seed by hand on to the ploughed and harrowed ground. The invention of the seed drill increased crops and profits for the farmer.

History of the invention

Jethro Tull, an English agricultural pioneer, invented the seed drill in 1701. His seed drill would sow seed in uniform rows and cover up the seed in the rows. Up to that point, sowing seeds was done by hand by scattering seeds on the ground. Tull had noticed that traditional heavy sowing densities were not very efficient, so he instructed his staff to drill at very precise, low densities. By 1701, his frustration with their lack of cooperation prompted him to invent a machine to do the work for him. Jethro Tull's seed drill could be pulled behind a horse. It consisted of a wheeled vehicle containing a box filled with grain. There was a wheel-driven ratchet that sprayed the seed out evenly as the seed Drill was pulled across the field. He designed his drill with a rotating cylinder. Grooves were cut into the cylinder to allow seed to pass from the hopper above to a funnel below. They were then directed into a channel dug by a plough at the front of the machine, then immediately covered by a harrow attached to the rear. This limited the wastage of seeding and made the crop easier to weed. The first prototype seed drill was built from the foot pedals of Jethro Tull's local church organ.

Role of Seed Drill in the Improvement Of Human Life

• This invention gave farmers much greater control over the depth that the seed was planted and the ability to cover the seeds without back-tracking. This greater control meant that seeds germinated consistently and in good soil. The result was an increased rate of germination, and a much-improved crop yield (up to eight times).

• A further important consideration was weed control: in the days before selective herbicide, drilling afforded the ability to hoe the crop during the course of the growing season. Weeding by hand is laborious and poor weeding limits yield.

• Tull's complete system was a major influence on the agricultural revolution and its impact can still be seen in today's methods and machinery. It;s rotary mechanism was the foundation of all subsequent sowing implements.