Soil Lumps Research Articles

Microstructural Characterization of Alluvial Sand Containing Cohesive Soil Lumps During Loading and Inundating

Microstructural Characterization of Alluvial Sand Containing Cohesive Soil Lumps During Loading and Inundating

РАЗРАБОТКА РЕСУРСОСБЕРЕГАЮЩЕЙ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ И ТЕХНИЧЕСКИХ СРЕДСТВ ДЛЯ ВОЗДЕЛЫВАНИЯ КАРТОФЕЛЯ

A significant proportion of potatoes are cultivated in difficult soil and climatic conditions, which negatively affects the quality of harvested potatoes due to the consequences of contact of tubers with soil lumps. The technology for cultivating potatoes with alternating beds is proposed to increase the efficiency of potato cultivation to stabilize the accumulation of organic matter, decompact the soil and the subsoil horizon. The method includes basic tillage, pre-planting tillage with cutting ridges, planting potatoes in ridges, inter-row cultivation, maintenance soil moisture and density, digging up tubers and marking rows. The method differs in that during subsequent planting next year, the soil is cultivated so that the bottom of the ridges alternates with potato tubers. The research results showed that the greatest influence on the destruction of soil lumps is their moisture content and the speed at which the lumps collide with the beater drum. It has been shown that destruction of up to 80% of soil lumps occurs when falling from a height of 1 - 1.5 m and the destructive force of clay with a moisture content of 17 - 22% under static compression is 0.1-0.2 kN. Ultimately, the technology of growing potatoes with alternating ridges helps control weeds and minimizes the incidence of diseases and pests.

Determination of physical and mechanical properties and patterns of friction processes of soil lumps and potato tubers during their destruction and separation

Determination of physical and mechanical properties and patterns of friction processes of soil lumps and potato tubers during their destruction and separation

The role of grassland crop rotation in piedmont zone of North Ossetia-Alania

The purpose of the study is to identify the effect of grassland crop rotation crops on the physical, agrobiological parameters of soils and on crop productivity in the forest-steppe zone of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Tasks of the experiment: to study the structural and aggregate composition of the soil; to determine the volume mass of the soil under crop rotation crops; to identify the general biological activity of the soil; to identify the effect of crop rotation crops on productivity. The object of the study is the crops of the grassland crop rotation. The research was carried out in the field stationary crop rotation of the NCMPARI VSC RAS in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the RNO-A. The soil of the experimental site is represented by leached chernozems on pebbles, where humus ranges from 3.4 to 4.7%. The experiments were carried out in triplicate. The area of the experimental plots is 100 m2 and registration plot is 96m2. It was found that at the beginning of the growing season, the lumpy fraction under crop rotation crops varied from 13.50% to 50.10%, and soil lumps from 0.25 to 10 mm (macrostructure) – from 49.40% to 82.60%, fraction <0.25 mm – from 1.80 to 8.0%. The index of the structural coefficient ranged from 2.22% (corn) to 2.49% (oats + clover). Studies have proven that leached chernozems contain from 45.0 to 66.5% of aggregates that resist the eroding effect of water, so these soils have a good structure. Over the years of research on oats + clover crops (on average 0–30 cm of soil layer), the soil density was 0.95 g/cm3 at the beginning of the growing season, 1.19 g /cm3 during the period of intensive growth, 1.22 g/cm3 at the end of the growing season. This tendency is evident in all crop rotation crops. In our studies, the best indicators for the collection of forage units were the grass links of the crop rotation and amounted to 15.05 t/ha. In the rowed link of the crop rotation they amounted to 13.12 t/ha. In general, the energy value of the grassland link of the crop rotation turned out to be 216.45 MJ more than the tilled one, and amounted to 255.0 MJ/ha.

Conceptual frameworks for creating an automated potato harvester with a digital system for identifying soil lumps and separating them from commercial potato products

FSC VIM has developed the conceptual basis for creating an automated potato harvester with a digital system for identifying soil lumps and separating them from marketable products. Existing machines carry out the technological process in conditions of high soil moisture, which negatively affects the quality of harvesting as a result of a decrease in the completeness of separation. To determine the optimal values of the developed separating system and recommendations for subsequent changes in the design and technological parameters of the machines, a design diagram of an automated harvester is presented, a schematic diagram of modeling a system for identifying soil lumps in the Matlab/Simulink environment, data selection from field studies of the operation quality of the harvesting machine separating system, as well as the work of the neural network system and the neuron error surface for identifying soil lumps while moving along the separating surface are shown.

ANALYTICAL DETERMINATION OF ASYMMETRIC PARAMETERS DISK HARROW

Having analyzed the technologies of pre-sowing field preparation, it should be concluded that the soil is processed before sowing with cultivators, disk, tooth and needle harrows, as well as soil tillers. Rolling before sowing ensures the destruction of soil lumps, as well as partial leveling of the field surface. However, the task of qualitative preparation of the field for sowing with the use of disk harrows is currently insufficiently solved, therefore it is necessary to substantiate the rational design parameters of an asymmetric disk harrow containing working bodies, which include, in particular, spherical disks. The following should also be noted, if the harrow is intended for use on harder, for example, chernozem soil, then the rod is attached to the hole further from the axis of rotation of the two-armed lever, which ensures the distance of the attachment device from the middle line of the harrow, which conditions the preservation of its balance when working on such soil. The process of rectilinear movement and rotation of spherical disks with a certain radius R in the soil at a depth h, which are installed at different angles to the direction of harrow movement, is considered. In the work, the impact of spherical disks with the remains of stubble, chopped straw was considered, it was established that spherical disks should be clamped between the sharpened cutting edge and the soil and cut them. It has been established that for guaranteed rotation of a spherical disk in the soil with minimal slippage and rolling resistance, its diameter must be substantiated. Since the spherical disk for soil cultivation is installed at an angle of attack α, to the direction of harrow movement, the projection of the spherical disk in the longitudinal-vertical plane is an ellipse with semi-axes. The rational diameter of the spherical disc of the asymmetric disc harrow under the conditions of its rotation in the soil with minimal values of sliding and rolling resistance, as well as a high-quality process of cutting the soil, stubble and soil displacement, is theoretically substantiated. It was established that the rational values of the diameter of the spherical disc of the asymmetric disc harrow depends on the depth h of soil treatment, the angle of attack α and the physical and mechanical properties of the soil.

GEOMETRIC CLAMPING PLATE DIMENSIONS OF THE IMPROVED OF GRAIN SEEDER COULTER SZ-3,6

The article notes that the improvement of operating tools of sowing machines is a solution to one of the many tasks of increasing crop yields. It is also noted that a two-disc coulter and its inherent advantages and disadvantages have been widely used on sowing machines, and the final sowing operation is considered the most important for seeds, since it creates conditions for their germination and further development.
 Significant factors affecting the germination and development of plants after sowing with seeders equipped with disc coulters are given, one of which is the tight contact of seeds with the bottom groove with a loose surface layer.
 The scheme for improving a two-disc coulter with pressure plate installed in the inter-disc space is proposed, and the details of the coulters are maximally unified with the coulters of grain seeders of the type SZ-3.6, mass-produced by domestic manufacturers. The pressure plate, moving together with the coulter, crushes small soil lumps with the inclined part and pushes the seeds into the bottom groove with a horizontal shank, ensuring their tight contact with the soil. A method for determining the main geometric parameters of the pressure plate depending on external forces acting from the soil is proposed, the dependence of the characteristics of the cross-section of the plate on the geometric dimension is given

Influence of agricultural practices and sowing dates under different weather conditions on soybean yield

The article is devoted to determining the optimal sowing time for soybeans with stable warming of the soil, considers the processing with a stratifier PRSM-5 and chisel processing against the background of pre-sowing rolling. Using soil-cultivating units of three types, an analysis was made of the effectiveness of various methods of basic cultivation against the background of various agricultural practices. The optimal timing of soybean sowing was determined with stable heating of the soil to 8–10 o С when treated with a stratifier PRSM-5 and up to 10–12 o С during chisel cultivation against the background of pre-sowing rolling. The obtained results of the research showed that the soil density depends primarily on the method of basic cultivation. The analysis of soil density indicators as a whole showed that after treatment with the stratifier PRSM-5 it was somewhat less and averaged 1.04 g/cm3 , and after chisel treatment – 1.09 g/cm3 . The analysis of the structural composition of the soil showed that the best structural structure of the soil was noted when processing with a stratifier PRSM-5 due to the removal of the most agronomically valuable soil lumps from the lower layers to the surface, here the structural coefficient was high and reached 2.36, and with chisel processing – 2.08. An analysis of the reserves of productive moisture at the end of the growing season showed that during chisel processing they were used more rationally, and significantly decreased in the phase of full ripeness after processing with a stratifier PRSM-5 – they amounted to 57 mm, and after chisel processing – 69 mm. The experimental data obtained indicate that under dry weather conditions, the best yield was formed when treated with a stratifier PRSM-5 at the second sowing date, and when chisel loosening - during the first and pre-sowing rolling. Key words: soybean, tillage, stratifier PRSM-5, density, structure, yield.

A Simplified Procedure to Estimate Effects of Soil Lumps on Some Properties of Compacted Soil

The present research attempt to propose a testing methodology, some preliminarily test results and data interpretation method to estimate effects of soil lumps on properties of compacted soil. Lumps of soil with various dimensions, from smaller than 1.18 mm to 37.5mm, are prepared and each dimension of soil lump is compacted with OMC to a cylindrical soil sample which is then compared with the sample obtained from conventional standard compaction test in which all soil lumps are thoroughly broken up before mixing with OMC (ASTM D698 – 12). Therefore effects of the soil lumps with several dimensions on moisture content distribution, dry density and strength of the compacted soil can be investigated. Eventually, data interpretation to estimate effects of lumps on properties of compacted soil is introduced for further application of soil compaction quality control

Конструктивні особливості та ефективність роботи мінікартоплекопачів

The purpose of the study is to identify the main approaches to the construction and design features of machines and tools used to dig potatoes in the areas of small farms in order to improve p125 otato harvesting equipment and theoretically justify its design and technological parameters. Particular attention is focused on the processes of diggingand separation of the tuberous layer. The statistical analysis of the areas where potatoes are grown in Ukraine is carried out, specific shares of production of this crop in subsistence farms of the population are established. In accordance with the value of the treated areas, the technique by which the technological assembly operation is carried out is outlined. For samples of potato harvesting minitechnics, its functional and constructive efficiency was analyzed. The ability of potato diggers to dig a tuberous layer of soil, its primary and main separation using different types of working bodies is characterized. Emphasis is placed on the work efficiency of such equipment on weed-clogged soils. As a result, it is outlined that it is promising to develop a potato harvesting minicombine or other potato digger capable of fully or partially accumulating the collected potatoes in boxes or other containers, excluding the laying of fruits on the surface of the field. The implementation of such an idea is possible under the condition of qualitative separation of the buried tuberous layer and minimal clogging of tubers with lumps of soil, plant remains, rhizomes etc. Therefore, there is a serious issue of increasing the efficiency of separation at all stages of the movement of the digged tuberous layer for the structures of simple mini-diggers above that are aggregated with low-power energy tools. The limitation here is the relatively short path of movement of the tuberous layer between the planes of the digging and separating working elements. Also the effectiveness of the separation of soil and foreign residues depends on the possibility of collecting seeds in certain containers. The implementation of this idea will significantly reduce the complexity of the harvesting operation of potatoes as a whole. This will give significant advantages to such a machine on the market in terms of its competitive attractiveness compared to analogues.

Work quality indicators tillage unit with application flexible working body in systems “Organic farming”

The relevance of the research lies in the use of a flexible working body in the form of a cable as part of a soil-cultivating ripping-separating machine. It has been experimentally proven that a flexible working body in the form of a cable as part of an experimental machine provides a more rational redistribution of agronomically valuable soil lumps along the depth of the cultivated layer. When tilling the soil to a depth of 0.03 m, an additional leveling of the soil surface occurs. The combined working body allows for a single pass of the unit to provide high quality tillage and effective control of weed growth. The destruction of dicotyledonous weeds by a machine with an additional flexible working body exceeded the result by 13% obtained without using a flexible working body.

Seasonality, soil attributes and root biomass in cerrado, cerradão and forest environments, western Amazon

The Amazon rainforest region presents a phytophysiognomy that ranges from savannas to cerrados, all of them intimately associated to climate and soil characteristics. Evidence has been given that plant growth and development are affected by soil quality and seasonality, thus making it crucial to understand them and how they are related to each other in order to grasp the dynamics of the whole ecosystem. In this context, the goal of this research was to assess how seasonality, soil attributes, and root system biomass are related in natural cerrado, cerradão, and forest areas in southern Amazonas State, in Brazil. Soil samples were collected during dry (June/2018) and rainy (December/2018) seasons from three different layers 0.00–0.05m; 0.05–0.15m, and 0.15–0.30m deep. In each area ten sampling points were randomly chosen. Two kinds of soil samples were collected: the first using 4.0 cm height by 5.1cm internal-diameter soil sample rings; and the second were intact soil lumps. Physical and Chemical soil attributes assessed were macro-porosity (MaP), micro-porosity (MiP), total porosity (TP), soil density (SD), aggregates texture and stability (GMD and WAR), gravimetric humidity (HG), organic carbon (OC), exchangeable aluminum (Al3+), potential acidity (H+Al), sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and root biomass (RB). All data were analysed via Tukey t test and student T test to compare results between seasons and areas. Increasing vegetation density (cerrado < cerradão < forest) was followed by an increment in CEC and OC, showing the importance of these attributes to maintaining biodiversity in environments. In amazon cerrado, rainy season as well a sandier soil textures provided favourable conditions to the growth and development of plants’ root system. Soil attributes were little affected by seasonality, that had greater effect on MiP, TP, SD, and OC, leading to lesser values for these variables during rainy season.

Fault associated with the 1967 M 6.3 Koyna earthquake, India: A review of recent studies and perspectives for further probing

The Koyna region in western India, characterized by recurrent seismic activity over more than five decades and confined largely within a 20 km × 30 km area and ∼10 km in depth, is a classical site to study earthquake processes. The largest earthquake in the region, the M 6.3 Koyna earthquake of December 1967, formed a ∼NNE-SSW trending surface rupture, known as Donichawadi fissure zone. The fissure zone, mapped originally over a length of ∼4 km and width of ∼200 m between Nanel and Kadoli by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in the wake of the earthquake, comprises en-echelon fractures, near-vertical fissures, oblique or diagonal tensional cracks, mole tracks, soil lumps and laterite boulders in paddy cultivated land. We review the Donichawadi fissure zone in the light of extensive seismological data acquired in the past five decades, surface mapping studies, recent geophysical studies, soil-gas helium studies over the fissure zone during 1996–1997, chemical and noble gas isotope compositions of formation gases, and subsurface fracture data from downhole image logs in a 3 km - deep scientific borehole drilled in 2017. Integration of the datasets provide clinching evidence that the Donichawadi fissure zone is the surface manifestation of a deeper crustal fault (referred as Donichawadi fault) that has been active for more than 55 years and yield critical new insights on the geometry, distribution and possible subsurface disposition of the fissures and the associated fractures in the subsurface. We conclude that the Donichawadi fault offers a potential target for further deep probing through scientific drilling, downhole measurements and long-term monitoring to gain new insights into the genesis of triggered earthquakes in the area.

Experimental results of the ring-cutting tillage roller

The article presents the results of the conducted laboratory researches to determine the energy and quality indicators of the working bodies of the ring-cutting soil processing roller, which make it possible to ensure compliance with agricultural requirements, increase the degree of grinding of soil lumps and crop residues along the entire width of the rink with simultaneous local rolling.

Cotton stalk restitution coefficient determination tests based on the binocular high-speed camera technology

The restitution coefficient (RC) of cotton stalks is an important elementary physical parameter that is required to establish the crushing mechanical model and research the film residue separation machinery. In this study, the calculation method of restitution coefficient considering the rotation motion of stalk-shaped agricultural materials was derived based on the principle of kinematics and the energy restitution coefficient method, and a test bench for measuring the RC was designed and built. The effects of collision material, moisture content, length, diameter, release height, and collision angle respectively on the RC were investigated by single-factor experiments and orthogonal experiments, and the regression models between influence factors and the RC were established. The results showed that Q235 showed the highest value of the RC, and it was followed by cotton stalks and soil lumps, sequentially. The RC of cotton stalks decreased with the increase of moisture content and diameter, while it increased at first and then decreased with the increase of length. As the release height was less than 500 mm, the RC increased with the increased release height. As the collision angle was less than 40°, the RC showed a linear increasing trend. The significance of the effects of factors on RC decreased with the following sequence: collision angle, length, release height, diameter, and moisture content. Length, collision angle, and release height were extremely significant. The contrast test results showed that the values based on Newton’s restitution coefficient method were smaller than that based on the energy restitution coefficient method. The verification test showed that the predicted rebound height of cotton stalks calculated based on the energy restitution coefficient method was closer to the actual rebound height, and the relative error was less than 5%. Keywords: high-speed camera technology, cotton stalk, collision, restitution coefficient, determination test DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221504.6370 Citation: Zhang B C, Chen X G, Liang R Q, Li J L, Wang X Z, Meng H W, et al. Cotton stalk restitution coefficient determination tests based on the binocular high-speed camera technology. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(4): 181–189.

Soil biotest results using Azotobacter bacteria: interpretation problems and possible solutions

The aim of the study. The Azotobacter genus is a well-known bioassay for testing the soil environment quality. A large number of these bacteria is considered as evidence of the ecological well-being of a soil. However, a high number of these microorganisms was found in disturbed ecosystems, which means there is a problem of how to interpret the results of the biotest. Therefore the aim of the study was to clarify the causes of this problem and suggest a possible way to solve it.
 Location and objects of the study. The study was conducted in West Siberia (Russia) in the Priobskoe plateau (54°53'13.5"N, 82°59'36.7E"). Leached сhernozem with different content of organic matter (mortmass) was studied under the following treatments: 1) permanent fallow, 2) wheat cultivation, annual removal of straw from the field + summer fallow, 3) wheat + left straw + summer fallow, 4) wheat +left straw + green manure fallow, 5) grassland. The content of N-NO3, respectively, was equal to 50, 10, 15, 5, 0 mg/kg. Another object was a site at the mining and processing plant "Denisovsky" in South Yakutia (Russia) (56°46'20.23"N, 124°51'06.95"E). Abandoned for a long time (30 years) after coal mining spoils were studied in two variants: without plants and with well-developed vegetation cover. Total SOC content was 1.8 and 5.7%, N – 0.3 and 0.4 %, respectively. 
 Methodology. The direct sowing of single soil aggregates onto the N-free medium containing glucose as C-source was used to cultivate Azotobacter. Glucose (10 mg/g soil) was added to the soil to activate Azotobacter growth. A live culture of bacteria was introduced into the soil at a dose of 1 ml/g to check the viability of Azotobacter in experimental soils. 
 Main results. The status of the microbial community in situ was observed on microbial landscapes obtained by exposing slides in the undisturbed soil for 30 days. The overgrowth of soil lumps in the specified range of options was 0–80–40–0–0% and after glucose addition – 100–80–80–0%. The activation of Azotobacter growth after glucose addition was inversely proportional to the C: N ratio (between the mortmass and the mineral nitrogen). Live Azotobacter culture under grassland developed 2.5 times slower in comparison with the fallow. Similar patterns were found in the study of the soils developed on the coal mining spoils. Activation of Azotobacter growth by glucose (response to stress) was more pronounced in soils with apparently less favorable environment for bacteria. 
 Conclusion. The reason behind misleading interpretation of Azotobacter biotest results was that the original purpose of the test was to assess fertility of arable soils. This role of the indicator bacterium was previously underestimated. It is known that the arable soil belongs to the category of disturbed ones, and the abundance of Azotobacter may indicate instability in the microbial community of the soil. To expand the capabilities of the biotest, the authors propose to supplement the test with a procedure for evaluating the Azotobacter growth response to experimental stress, e.g. C-substrate addition.

Theoretical Substantiation of the Traction Resistance of the Ridge Seeder

The analysis of the current state of the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex of Russia has shown that various energy-saving cultivation technologies of agricultural crops, including row crops on ridges, are being applied on a large scale. Mainly, such technologies imply a reduction in the number of technological operations performed, the replacement of sowing on pre-treated soil with sowing according to minimal technology or no-till at all. When implementing comb sowing of row crops, the problem of energy saving remains relevant. Keeping in mind the design features and the operation principle of tillage rollers, it can be stated that they are designed mainly for the destruction of soil lumps and compaction of soil on a flat field before or after sowing. There is a problem of high-quality rolling of soil ridges formed simultaneously with the sowing of row crops. (Research purpose) The research purpose is to substantiate the traction resistance of a roller aggregated with a combed roller theoretically. (Materials and methods) The algorithms used to assess the quality of the rollers are imperfect, for reliable justification of the optimization parameter, it is necessary to solve a number of issues, in particular, the methodology for determining the traction resistance of rollers designed for the final creation of soil ridges by simultaneous action of spherical disks and conical wheels on their sides. A skating roller has been developed for the finishing operation of forming a soil ridge with the required parameters and density simultaneously with sowing, the novelty of which is confirmed by patents of the Russian Federation No. 194330, No. 194348, No. 196712. (Results and discussion) The article presents the process of forming a soil ridge by a roller, and the justification of the traction resistance of a ridge drill roller. A vertical load artificially created by a spring additionally acts on the roller of the comb seeder, this load evenly spreads to the conical core and spherical disks of the roller. (Conclusions) The total traction resistance of the roller of the comb seeder is affected by the weight of the conical wheel, frame, additional spring compression load, the size of the rolling wheel and spherical discs, the speed of the roller, as well as the physical and mechanical properties of the soil.

Wheel drive with integrated differential

The performance indicators of wheeled arable machine-tractor units, which are accelerated on the working gear, depend on the operating modes of the wheels during this period. When the wheel is skidding, soil lumps break down in the contact spot, the soil structure is destroyed. Based on the system analysis of the wheels operation, the method of their improvement is justified by continuous control of the eccentric point of application of the driving torque and external load. As a result of the analysis for the first time, a soil-sparing wheel mover with the properties of a differential, a tangential force regulator and clearance regulator was developed. In the case of an eccentric application of a vertical load and a longitudinal pushing force, one of the satellites of the wheeled planetary gearbox is the leading and bearing one. The purpose of the article is to analyze the factors influencing the automatic adaptation of the wheel drive to changing operating conditions. It is established the relationship between the driving moment and the rolling resistance moment, the moments of inertia of the wheel and the drive gear of the integrated differential.

Working machines state operational monitoring according to the parameters of the internal combustion engine

The authors showed that the imperfection of precision farming methods, methods of transferring energy from the tractor engine to the working bodies required the development of new methods for reliable and accurate identification of the soil and its properties, as well as the state of machine-tractor units. (Research purpose) To determine the actual energy and economic indicators of a working machine and unit reliably and promptly in the operating conditions of agricultural production by parameters closely related to the energy indicators of an internal combustion engine, the measurement of which did not require large costs. (Materials and methods) 24 indirect parameters reflecting the power and degree of engine load were used for the operational assessment. In this case, the angular accelerations of the internal combustion engine and the turbocharger rotor crankshaft, including those caused by the operation of individual cylinders, the working processes of the generator (their average and extreme values), as well as the amplitude-frequency spectra of these processes, and speed characteristics were taken into account. To improve the accuracy and reliability of the assessment of energy indicators, the authors selected the processes in the frequency and phase domains. (Results and discussion) The considered methods were tested in production conditions during the main processing of the alkaline-chernozem complexes of the Chulym district of the Novosibirsk region. The authors found that the use of a flexible machine-tractor unit based on an energy-rich tractor improved the quality of soil cultivation: the share of soil lumps less than 5 centimeters in size was 73-80 percent; the productivity of the tillage machine increased by 15-20 percent. (Conclusions) The authors proved that with the help of indirectly determined indicators of power and degree of load, it was possible to estimate the actual values of the energy and technical and economic indicators of the working machine and the unit, the quality of the assembly of the unit, the heterogeneity of the soil was much easier and cheaper than using the known force-measuring methods. It was found that the use of digital systems for automatic control of the unit using the indicated indicators made it possible to provide quite simply the setting of the optimal zone of energy modes.

Improved potato digger

The article presents the results of performance analysis of potato harvester and potato digger which do not always work with due quality, make heavy losses and damage tubers, especially in the cultivation of potato in moderate soils. The principle of operation and functioning of the working parts of a potato digger, which allows ensuring the separation of potato tubers from soil lumps and stones and their collection into a container, are considered.