Due to the maize growing agronomy requires ground covered by mulch film in the arid zones of the China Northwest region, the seed-metering device must roll over, break the film, and then throw seeds into soil. However, the uneven ground can cause the seed-metering device to shake, reducing seed-metering performance. To improve the adaptability for different shapes of maize seeds, a air suction wheel type seed-metering device with elastic pad was developed for better seed extraction and bump resistance. Firstly, the advantages and influencing factors of the elastic pad were analyzed through four processes of metering seeds. Secondly, the velocity distributions of six diameters of the suction hole are compared to determine the range with FLUENT. Then, a one-factor experiment was conducted to analyze the pattern of the factors (the seed layer height, the critical vacuum, the rotational speed of the seed disk, and the suction hole diameter) influencing the metering seed performance. Finally, a five-level quadratic rotation orthogonal design was used to optimize the parameters. Results show that the optimal values are that the seed layer height is 40 mm, and the critical vacuum is 2.85 kPa, and the rotational speed of the seed disk is 20.1 r/min. The validation experiment resulted in a 93.79% qualified index, with a 4.02% missing index and a 2.19% multiple index.

The application of plastic mulch in the arid regions of northwest China has demonstrated significant advantages, making roller-type hole sowing on mulch a key agricultural trend. In order to enhance the performance of a roller-type corn finger planter equipped with finger pickups. This study analyzed the motion patterns of corn seeds within the device and investigated the effects of control cam parameters, including pickup section, vibration section, pickup stroke angle, and torsion spring force, on seed-metering performance. Using DEM-MBD coupling technology, single-factor experiments and second-order orthogonal rotational combination simulation experiments were conducted. The optimal parameter is that pickup section stroke angle is 78.98°, vibration section stroke angle is 20.07°, and a normal force is 2.99 N, which was validated through bench tests, achieving a seed-metering qualification rate of 93.86%, a missed seeding rate of 3.19%, and a reseeding rate of 2.95%. These results met the standards and agronomic requirements, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed optimization method. It provides a foundation for improving the precision and reliability of roller-type corn seed-metering devices.