The objectives of this work were to systemize the data contained in a set of technical catalogues referring to models of fertilizer and seed drills of precision to analyze the available information in order to prepare a database with technical characteristics and to propose a classification index for the models based on these characteristics. 93 catalogues of fertilizer and seed drills of precision supplied by Brazilian manufacturers were analyzed for generating information to characterize 250 models. On the basis of 31 technical characteristics available in catalogues, a database was prepared in which 9 of these characteristics were used in the formulation of an index number, called -Index of Adequacy- (IA). The application of IA allowed to classify the 250 models in five different categories (A, B, C, D and E), where 73% of the analyzed models composed the categories A and B, indicated for small and medium farms; 19% composed the category C, indicated for medium and large farms; and 8% of the models composed the categories D and E, indicated for large farms. It may be concluded that the adequacy index is a tool that could be used by producers in the decision-making to select most adequate fertilizer and seed drill for farm characteristics.
mechanization; direct planting; decision-making
