h a l f b a k e r yNo, not that kind of baked.
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Sometimes it rains a lot. If it rains too much in the spring, farmers have trouble getting into the field to sow seeds because the equipment bogs down. Occasionally farmers resort to seeding by plane, in a manner akin to a crop duster.
I propose that a truck-mounted pneumatic cannon would be a cheap
and more precise alternative to a plane. The truck would park on the nearest accessible dry land. The cannon would fire charges of seed which explode at a given height over the muddy field. Many shots would be necessary, in an organized fashion. Always in an organized, sober and businessslike fashion. The seeds might be accompanied by orange paper wads or some other marker to confirm a given tract had been seeded. If necessary, a scarecrow (with stake) might be launched to punctuate the operation. It may be necessary to launch several scarecrows if they do not stick in the mud properly or other mishaps prevent optimal scariness.
The cannon seeder might also be useful to reseed steep and treacherous territory after erosion or a landslide. Fast growing weeds or even kudzu cuttings would be shot up into the slope.
If it gains popularity, the cannon seeder might be used for conventional dry weather seeding as well. In this case, "plow" charges might be fired over the field to prepare the soil in advance of the seed. I propose that charges releasing ice schrapnel might work well to prepare the soil.
Sounds a little like hydroseeding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroseeding
But with more firepower! [Galbinus_Caeli, Jul 06 2007]
Had to search for this one for a little while...
Bonsai_20Bullets
...but here's the micro version of this idea. [normzone, Jul 07 2007]
And something similar...
Tree_20Planting_20Machine_20Gun
...but with a different end in mind [normzone, Jul 07 2007]
Bear tracks with grass seed
http://vilda.alaska...&CISOPTR=1081&REC=1
The problem with "plowing" a field with explosives is that we have an idea of what a plowed field should look like. Roughing up the field with ice shrapnel should serve, especially if your problem is a very muddy field. [bungston, Jul 09 2007]
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Annotation:
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/not sure the spread would be even/
There must be some science behind those fireworks that produce waterfall or willowtree shapes in the sky. These charges would be similar, but with seeds. |
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+ I like it. I was thinking some kind of *screen* to distribute the seeds evenly. |
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xandram did you mean screen as in net, because that's is the first thing I thought of too. If the seeds were encapsulated in the conjunctions of a cannon launched net that unfolded as it spun, the placement of the seeds could be very precise. |
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Not sure about the lack of furrowed rows though. |
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Good point, but only if you want pumpkins. |
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In the UK, a TV show called Top Gear tried something similar. Mr Jeremy Clarkson attempted to plow a field using explosives - It was very impressive but didnt work as he managed to crater the field rather than plow it. |
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A pumpkin cannon could be used for something like this. Equally important is the design of the seed charge lofted, which must distribute the seeds evenly. |
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Might be more effective (and longer lasting fun) to elevate the seeder and convert to a pneumatic machine gun for precise planting in rows for easy harvesting. Thus each seed can be precisely placed using the best optics and laser rangefinder equipment, and you get to shoot 100k rounds through a machine gun. |
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[bungston], how the hell did you phrase your search so as to come up with a sprouted bear's trail? |
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