A reciprocating powered-cutter wheat no-till planter, which has the functions of residue-cutting, sowing and bed-renovation, was designed based on the problems of residue blocking and seriously-damaged bed shape during the planting of wheat in maize stubble coverage fields under the condition of permanent raised beds (PRB) in the irrigated agricultural region of northwest China. This planter combines the vertical residue-cutting by powered cutter and horizontal residue-cutting by knife-shaped opener to solve the blocking problem. Furthermore, the columniform and cultivated-type plough was adopted to renovate the beds. Results of a field experiment showed that the planter was effective in solving residue blocking and renovating the beds. The mean sowing and fertilizing depths were 46 and 91 mm, respectively, and good uniformity was observed. In conclusion, the planter could meet the requirements of wheat no-till planting in PRB farming systems in the irrigated agricultural region of northwest China.
