Draught Prediction of Agricultural Implements using Reference Tillage Tools in Sandy Clay Loam Soil

An investigation was carried out to predict the draught requirements of commonly used tillage implements in any field condition from the knowledge of : (i) the draught requirements of reference tillage tools in a reference soil condition; and (ii) the scale factors related to soil properties and implement geometry. In the first step, the draught requirements of three different reference tillage tools: (1) a plough with a width of cut of 0·1 m; (2) a tine with a width of cut of 0·075 m and (3) a disc with a diameter of 0·3 m were verified in the soil bin by operating in a reference soil condition (sandy clay loam soil with average cone penetration resistance of 472 kPa and bulk density of 1170±20 kg/m3) at three depths (0·05, 0·075 and 0·1 m) and four speeds (1·2, 2·2, 3·2 and 4·2 km/h). In the second step, the draught requirements of six different scale-model implements: two mouldboard ploughs (0·15 and 0·25 m width); two cultivators (2 and 3 tine); and two disc gangs (0·34 and 0·37 m width) were measured in the same soil with five different soil conditions (average cone penetration resistance and the corresponding bulk density varied from 470 to 1420 kPa and 1170 to 1680 kg/m3, respectively) at particular depth (0·075 m) and speed of operation (3·2 km/h). The empirical equations for draught requirements of reference tillage tools and hence, scale-model implements were developed using orthogonal and multiple regression techniques. The developed empirical equations were verified in the laboratory as well as in the field conditions. A good general agreement between observed and predicted draught values was found with the average absolute variations of 7·0%, 6·2% and 7·5% in the laboratory as compared to 10·6%, 10·2% and 13·2% in the field for the mouldboard plough, cultivator and offset disc harrow respectively. This methodology produced sufficiently accurate results to enable the draught prediction of tillage implements in different soil conditions by testing only the reference tillage tool in the desired soil type at reference soil condition.

[1]  Richard J. Godwin,et al.  Soil Failure with Narrow Tines , 1977 .

[2]  R. L. Schafer,et al.  An Interpretation of Distortion in the Similitude of Certain Soil-Machine Systems , 1969 .

[3]  D. H. Rackham,et al.  The determination of plough draught—Part II the measurement and prediction of plough draught for two mouldboard shapes in three soil series , 1982 .

[4]  James L. Glancey,et al.  Prediction of agricultural implement draft using an instrumented analog tillage tool , 1996 .

[5]  S. K. Upadhyaya,et al.  Energy Requirements for Chiseling in Coastal Plain Soils , 1984 .

[6]  Richard J. Godwin,et al.  The effect of time arrangement on soil forces and disturbance , 1984 .

[7]  Richard J. Godwin,et al.  A Novel Approach to the Prediction of Tillage Tool Draught using a Standard Tine , 1997 .

[8]  N. E. Collins,et al.  ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR TILLAGE ON COASTAL PLAINS SOILS , 1977 .

[9]  M. J. O'Dogherty,et al.  A triaxial dynamometer for force and moment measurements on tillage implements , 1993 .

[10]  K. C. Watts,et al.  Draught and vertical forces obtained from dynamic soil cutting by plane tillage tools , 1998 .

[11]  A. F. Kheiralla,et al.  Modelling of power and energy requirements for tillage implements operating in Serdang sandy clay loam, Malaysia , 2004 .

[12]  J. C. Siemens,et al.  Mechanics of Soil as Influenced by Model Tillage Tools , 1965 .

[13]  R. J. Rowe,et al.  Influence of Speed on Elements of Draft of a Tillage Tool , 1961 .

[14]  R. D. Wismer,et al.  Performance of Plane Soil Cutting Blades in Clay , 1971 .

[15]  D. Gee-Clough,et al.  The empirical prediction of tractor-implement field performance , 1978 .

[16]  M. J. O'Dogherty,et al.  The Design of Octagonal Ring Dynamometers , 1996 .

[17]  A. Khalilian,et al.  Draft Relationships for Primary Tillage in Oklahoma Soils , 1986 .

[18]  C. P. Gupta,et al.  An analytical model for predicting draft forces on convex-type wide cutting blades , 1989 .

[19]  B. D. Witney,et al.  The determination of plough draught—Part I. prediction from soil and meteorological data with cone index as the soil strength parameter , 1982 .

[20]  J. V. Stafford,et al.  The performance of a rigid tine in relation to soil properties and speed , 1979 .

[21]  John V. Perumpral,et al.  A model for predicting soil-tool interaction , 1988 .

[22]  M. F. Kocher,et al.  Tillage implement forces operating in silty clay loam , 1996 .

[23]  Tung Liang,et al.  Predicting Tillage Tool Draft Using Four Soil Parameters , 1972 .

[24]  Richard J. Godwin,et al.  Soil Dynamics of Single and Multiple Tines at Speeds up to 20 km / h , 1996 .

[25]  Walter G. Lovely,et al.  Predicting draft forces using model moldboard plows in agricultural soils , 1968 .

[26]  Edward McKyes,et al.  Soil Cutting and Tillage , 1986 .

[27]  James L. Glancey,et al.  An improved technique for agricultural implement draught analysis , 1995 .

[28]  Timothy M. Harrigan,et al.  Draft relationships for tillage and seeding equipment , 1995 .