Wear of Cultivator Shares in Abrasive South Australian Soils

Abstract

Abstract In general, conditions for the seeding and cultivation of cereal crops in Australia vary from those in the northern hemisphere, resulting in higher wear rates of tillage tools. This wear reduces the efficiency of Australian farmers, costing millions of dollars annually. This paper details the wear rates of commercial sweep shares at different sites in South Australia. The life of the shares at the different sites in terms of distance travelled, ranged from 9 to 168 km with wear rate being strongly dependent on the gravel content of the soil. At the Mangalo site (sandy clay–loam), the wear rate was found to increase as the soil water content decreased. These results are discussed and compared with those published in the literature. The damage to the tools and the mechanisms of wear were also investigated by metallographic analysis. This investigation revealed abrasive particles embedded in the cutting edges of shares worn in dry, stony conditions. An investigation of polished share cross-sections revealed three distinct areas of deformation caused by the abrasive particles.