Tillage Implements Research Articles

Monitoring autumn agriculture activities using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and coherence change detection

Across Canada, farmers are encouraged to adopt beneficial management practices (BMPs) to protect soil heath, reduce green house gas emissions and mitigate off-site impacts from agriculture. Measuring the uptake of BMPs, including the implementation of conservation tillage, helps gauge the success of policies and programs to promote adoption. Satellites are one way to monitor BMP adoption and Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) are of particular interest given their all-weather data collection capability. This research investigated coherent change detection (CCD) to determine when farmers harvest and till their fields. A time series of both Sentinel-1 and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) images was acquired over a site in the Canadian Lake Erie basin, during the autumn of 2021, when farmers were harvesting and tilling fields of corn, soybeans and wheat. 16 CCD pairs were created and coherence values were interpreted based on observations collected for 101 fields. An m-chi decomposition was applied to the RCM data, and the Volume/Surface (V/S) ratio was calculated as an additional source of information to interpret results. Change events due to harvest, tillage, autumn seeding and chemical termination resulted in coherence values below 0.20. The mean and standard deviation for fields with observed change was 0.18 ± 0.03. Coherence values were 0.42 ± 0.15 for fields where no change was noted. Tests confirmed that the coherence associated with changed and unchanged fields was significantly different. Coherence values could also differentiate between some types of management events, including tillage and harvest. CCD could also separate harvest as a function of crop type (corn or soybeans). V/S ratios declined after tillage events but increased after both harvesting and chemical termination. Narrowing the date of harvest and tillage is as important as detecting change. To meet this requirement, Sentinel-1 and RCM CCD products with values below 0.20 (indicating change had occurred), were graphically overlaid. With this approach, the timing of corn harvest was identified as occurring within a 5-day window. The tilling of corn, soybeans and wheat was narrowed to a 4-day window. The results of this research confirmed that CCD can be used to capture change due to autumn agricultural activities, and this technique can also separate change due to harvest and tillage. Finally, this study demonstrated that when data from different SAR missions are combined in a virtual constellation, timing of harvest and tillage can be more precisely defined.

Field evaluation of a bent leg tillage implement in dry soil conditions

Field evaluation of a bent leg tillage implement in dry soil conditions

Investigation of the predictability of mouldboard plough draught from soil mechanical strength (cone index vs. shear strength) using finite element modelling

Prediction models for draught of tillage implements using soil variables which can be readily measured in the field are important tools in agricultural machinery management. In our previous study, a regression model for draught of a cylindrical mouldboard plough as a function of soil water content, bulk density, ploughing depth and speed was developed using a finite element (FEM) model. This study aims to investigate whether the soil physical properties could be replaced by soil strength variables including cone index (CI) or shear strength (SS) measured by cone penetrometer and shear vane, respectively. Cone penetration and shear vane tests were simulated using FEM in the soils for which the mouldboard plough draught was obtained from the mouldboard plough-soil interaction model. A 0.3 m ploughing layer was simulated either homogeneous or non-homogeneous. CI and SS, averaged over the ploughing layer, were used as soil strength variables. The best model for mouldboard draught was obtained as a function of SS, ploughing depth and speed with R2 = 0.87 and RMSE = 0.79 kN. Validation of the model with a set of experimental data reported in the literature showed that the predicted draught force lies within bounds of ± 18 % of the measured values with R2 of 0.84. The draught model could be employed with a shear vane or a combined vane-cone instrument to predict the mouldboard plough draught.

Estimation of wheel slip in 2WD mode for an agricultural tractor during plowing operation using an artificial neural network

As artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been shown to be precise and reliable in supporting the field of artificial intelligence technology, agricultural scientists have focused on employing ANN for agricultural applications. The ANN can be an effective alternative for evaluating agricultural operations. The intended aim of this investigation was to employ both ANN and multiple linear regression (MLR) to develop a model for determining the rear wheel slip of an agricultural tractor in two-wheel drive (2WD) mode during plowing operations. The output parameter of the models was tractor rear wheel slip. The training data were collected from filed experiments using chisel, moldboard, and disk plows. The plows were operated under different conditions of soil texture, plowing depth, soil moisture content, and plowing speed. All data were acquired during field experiments in two soil textures (clay and clay loam textures). The training dataset was comprised of 319 data points, while 65 data points were employed to test both ANN and MLR models estimation capability. The ANN model with a backpropagation training algorithm was created using the commercial Qnet2000 software by changing its topology and related parameters. The best ANN model possessed a topology of 7-20-1. The estimated tractor rear wheel slip using the testing dataset displayed strong agreement with measured tractor rear wheel slip with the coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.9977. The results definitely illustrated that the ANN model was capable of defining the correlation between the inputs and rear wheel slip. The outcomes suggest that the established ANN model is trustworthy in predicting the tractor rear wheel slip for an agricultural tractor in 2WD mode during the tillage process compared to MLR models. This study provides a useful tool for management of tillage implements during field operations.

Evaluation of the influence of the row of tillage implements on their work indicators

The purpose of the presented study is a quantitative assessment of the influence of the rows of tillage implements, using the example of steam cultivators, on their technological, operational and economic characteristics. An analysis of the data from the test reports of these implements showed that the most common three-row cultivators provided slightly worse performance than two- and four-row ones. At the same time, it was found that there is a direct relationship between the row and working width of cultivators. Two-row and four-row cultivators provided approximately equal quality of work in terms of such indicators as deviation from the specified cultivation depth (1.1-1.2 cm); degree of crumbling (91.7-92.2 %) and ridges (2.3 cm) of the field surface. The shift time utilization coefficient for two- and three-row implements (0.73-0.74) is noticeably lower than that for four-row implements (0.82), which can be indirectly explained by the fact that such implements are indeed less clogged with vegetation. remains and soil in comparison with analogues, however, it is not clear why such an effect is not observed when comparing two- and three-row tools. The specific fuel consumption of MTA with cultivators of different rows is approximately the same - 4.0 ... 4.1 kg / ha, i.e. from the energy point of view, the advantages of the multi-row tool layout are not obvious, which does not fully correspond to the earlier hypothesis about the lower clogging of multi-row tools. The material consumption of two-row guns (and hypothetically, the cost) is almost 1.1 times less than that of three-row ones, and almost 1.3 times less than four-row ones. At the same time, the increase in material consumption significantly exceeds the increase in the increase in the coefficient of use of the shift time. In general, the study conducted (on the example of steam cultivators) did not allow us to identify obvious advantages in terms of agrotechnical and energy indicators of the tendency to increase the rows of tillage implements, with the obvious disadvantage of this approach from a technical and economic point of view.

Effects of Tillage and Sowing Methods on Soil Physical Properties and Corn Plant Characters

In the northeast plains of China, the intensive utilization of agricultural soils has been a persistent issue, and finding ways to utilize soil resources efficiently and sustainably through a scientifically-driven management system has become a crucial challenge for agricultural production. Conservation tillage is a crucial technology for sustainable agriculture. Currently, plow and rotary tillage are the dominant methods used in Mollisols, but there is limited information on the effects of different conservation tillage practices in this region. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term impact of tillage and sowing methods on soil physical properties and corn plant growth and to examine the relationship between soil physical properties and plant characteristics during various stages of growth. This study consisted of four tillage and sowing methods: plow tillage and precision seeder sowing (PTS), rotary tillage and precision seeder sowing (RTS), no-tillage and no-tillage seeder sowing (NTS), and no-tillage and precise sowing in stubble field (STS) (all four treatments involved total straw return). The results indicated that the soil penetration resistance (SPR) in the 10–40 cm soil layer under the PTS treatment was significantly lower (by 11.9% to 18%) compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). On average, the soil moisture content in the NTS treatment was 2.7% and 1.4% higher than that of the PTS and RTS treatments. Additionally, soil temperature was 5.6% to 8.6% lower under the STS treatment compared to the other treatments during late corn growth. The RTS treatment also significantly reduced the bulk density of surface soil. High SPR impeded early crop growth but did not impact mid-crop development, while low soil temperature was one of the main factors affecting late corn growth and development as temperatures decreased. Based on the comparisons, we found that the short-term implementation of conservation tillage did not result in a significant decrease in corn yield. We believe that the short-term implementation of NTS tillage sowing practices in Mollisol regions is a feasible option.

Noise exposure and hearing loss among tractor drivers in India.

Tractors emit high intensity noise and prolonged exposure to high intensity noise causes hearing loss to the drivers. The aim of this study was to measure noise intensity at the tractor drivers' ear level and hearing loss among tractor drivers. Noise intensity was measured on 6 models of tractors which were operated with 5 different tillage implements. In order to assess hearing loss, audiometric test was performed at 7 frequencies, i.e. 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz, among 30 tractor drivers and 30 control group subjects. All the selected tractor drivers and control group subjects were also interviewed to obtain personal information and noise exposure details. The tractor drivers were exposed to noise intensity in the range of 91.7-97.5 dB(A). Audiogram analysis shows that the hearing threshold levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher among the tractor drivers as compared with the control group subjects. The effect was significantly (p < 0.05) more on the left ear as compared with the right ear among the tractor drivers. Increase in age has significant (p < 0.05) effect on the hearing threshold levels on the left ear. Prevalence of high frequency hearing loss was 50% among tractor drivers as compared with 10% among control group subjects. Hearing loss was significantly (p < 0.05) more in the low frequency as compared with the high frequency among the tractor drivers. Indian tractor operators are exposed to high noise levels which may result in hearing loss. It is recommended that hearing conservation programs should be initiated to prevent noise hazards and hearing loss among the tractor drivers.

Strategic tillage in Australian conservation agricultural systems to address soil constraints: How does it impact weed management?

AbstractIn the conservation agricultural systems practised in Australia, cultivation is not commonly utilised for the purpose of weed control. However, occasional use of tillage (strategic tillage) is implemented every few years for soil amelioration, to address constraints such as acidity, water repellence or soil compaction. Depending on the tillage method, the soil amelioration process buries or disturbs the topsoil. The act of amelioration also changes the soil physical and chemical properties and affects crop growth. While these strategic tillage practices are not usually applied for weed control, they are likely to have an impact on weed seedbank burial, which will in turn affect seed dormancy and seedbank depletion. Strategic tillage impacts on seed burial and soil characteristics will also affect weed emergence, plant survival, competitive ability of weeds against the crop and efficiency of soil applied pre‐emergent herbicides. If growers understand the impacts of soil amelioration on weed demography, they can more effectively plan management strategies to apply following the strategic tillage practice. Weed seed burial resulting from a full soil inversion is understood, but for many soil tillage implements, more data is needed on the extent of soil mixing, burial of topsoil and the weed seedbank, physical control of existing weeds and stimulation of emergence following the tillage event. Within the agronomic system, there is no research on optimal timing for a tillage event within the year. There are multiple studies to indicate that strategic tillage can reduce weed density, but in most studies, the weed density increases in subsequent years. This indicates that more research is required on the interaction of amelioration and weed ecology, and optimal weed management strategies following a strategic tillage event to maintain weeds at low densities. However, this review also highlights that, where the impacts of soil amelioration are understood, existing data on weed ecology can be applied to potentially determine impacts of amelioration on weed growth.

Economic justification of industrial production of a resource-saving unit for strip tillage

It is a well-known fact that the existing methods of continuous plow tillage are associated with high consumption of anthropogenic energy for plowing and with probability of occurrence of degradation in it. The alternative to the continuous plowing is non-inversion tillage systems related to resource-saving agriculture. At present, combined tillage implements are widely used. They are equipped with devices for applying fertilizers to plowed strips, and in spring the seeds of a certain row crop (sunflower or corn, for example) are sown there exactly in line with the upgraded seeder equipped with an agronavigator for precision farming. The task of the study is to make the preliminary economic justification of the expediency of using various implements for soil-loosening by strip conservation plowing and the need for industrial production of a combined unit for simultaneous application of fertilizers and strip plowing. The issues of implementation of modern foreign tillage technology and devices should primarily consider environmental and resource conditions for row crops cultivation in individual Russian regions. This is especially true for the strip tillage technology and the devices for its implementation. Therefore, further studies should be devoted to the economic component considering the terrain, landscape cover, climatic features, composition and type of soil, land reclamation condition. Due to the current situation, it is essential to gradually replace the imported tillage equipment by domestic developments that are not inferior in quality, reliability, performance and safety to foreign analogues. The authors mean the replacement and repair of expensive foreign produced combined units for strip plowing. To this end, it is suggested to use less expensive domestic technologically new products developed with the consideration of natural and climatic peculiarity of an individual region. The authors apply original methodology of the so-called simplified express analysis of key economic indicators. The methodology provides the opportunity to conduct accurate evaluation of the economic expediency of improving technical characteristics of the upgraded device at the beginning of the design before its production by means of a limited number of available parametric data of the machine sample under study. This eventually influences making a correct decision about the expediency of industrial production of a combined tillage device.

ТОПЫРАҚТЫҢ БЕТКІ ҚАБАТЫН ӨҢДЕУГЕ АРНАЛҒАН БЕЛСЕНДІ ЖЕТЕКГІ БАРАЙНАЛМАЛЫ ЖҰМЫСШЫ БӨЛІКПЕН ҚАРЫҚША ҚАЛЫПТАСУЫН ЗЕРТТЕУ

For the surface tillage, it is common to utilize machines and tools, and their tillage implements are set in motion through contact with the soil and by the tractor's PTO. The furrow produced by the rotating tillage implements is characterized by an uneven bottom that matches the furrow length and aligns with the direction of the movement of the machine-tractor aggregates. However, an analysis of research suggests that this scenario does not fully capture the process of furrow formation by the cutting blade of the concerned tillage implement powered by the tractor's PTO. For the reasons outlined above, determining the tillage implement parameters to achieve the desired quality of surface soil tillage is quite challenging. This article, therefore, delves into the process of furrow formation using the power driven tillage implement.The objective of this study is to develop a methodology for determining the parameters of the furrow formed by the power driven tillage implement’s cutting blade. Experiments were conducted in a soil box filled with sandy soil, considering approach angles ranging from 30 to 90° and kinematic parameters varying between 0.8 and 2.2. The findings reveal that the cutting blade of the rotating implement, designed in an elliptical fashion, generates a furrow that takes on a parallelogram shape when seen from above. At a small approach angle, the implement's cutting blade produces a short, narrow furrow that deviates from the implement's path and remains within the implement's working width.

Modeling, Simulation and Optimization of Agricultural Tillage Process Vibrations using an Interactive Active Control System

Tractor operators have to work for long hours to perform different tasks. During tillage, implements are attached to the tractor for soil preparations for crop production. The attached implements also have direct effect on vibrations of tractors. Drivers of tractors are exposed to different frequency vibrations which effect their health badly. In this study, the vibrations transmitted during tillage to seat of operator were measured using accelerometer and root mean square (RMS) accelerations was analysed according to ISO standard. Tests were carried out with different type of implements (Cultivator and Disc Harrow) and at different forward speeds of tractor. The dynamic model of tractor and tillage implements was created in MATLAB-Simulink software. An active seat suspension was designed with PID and Fuzzy Logic Controllers and was analysed for improvement in ride comfort level of driver. The results reveal that designed controllers reduce the RMS accelerations at operator’s seat base by 69% as compared to passive seat.

Оценка эффективности почвообрабатывающих элементов глубокорыхлителей с применением коэффициента рационального использования

In conditions of increasing production and turnover of agricultural crops, soil degradation associated with wind and water erosion leads to depletion of fertile land and reduction of crop yields. One of the ways to increase the protective capacity of cultivated areas is deep loosening. The development of methods for assessing the efficiency and forecasting the use of tillage elements, taking into account economic, qualitative and agrotechnical requirements is an urgent task. To provide for the rational choice of a tillage element, the authors compared commercially produced domestic and foreign chisels, their mechanical and economic parameters and agrotechnical requirements for deep tillage of soils in the Southern Federal District. The analysis of mathematical models and methods was applied to evaluate the efficiency of working elements of soil tillage implements. Forecasts of their service life and loosening quality evaluation were made based on the algorithm developed in Matlab. The algorithm was used to calculate the rational utilisation factor of the chisel based on the data of its thickness and angle of installation, the initial size of the soil clod and the degree of crumbling. The rational utilization factor takes into account chisel design parameters (steel grade, thickness, sharpening angle and hardness), economic (price and estimated service life) and agrotechnical (depth of cultivation). Knowing the rational utilisation factor, we can get a rough estimate of the tool quality at the stage of design or purchase. This solution will reduce unnecessary costs, identify design deficiencies, determine the theoretical degree of crumbling by passive working elements and select the optimal tool taking into account economic, qualitative and agrotechnical requirements.

Increasing the durability of tillage implements' disk working bodies

Increasing the durability of tillage implements' disk working bodies

Substantiation of the disk soil-cultivating tool parameters for all forms of farming

Increasing soil fertility is provided by the introduction of perfect disk tillage implements. This study is aimed at optimizing the parameters of disk tillage implements, taking into account the peculiarities of interaction between the working elements and the soil-soil on the condition of tillage on the stubble. In this case, it is taken into account that the disc working tool must be well adapted to heavy soils. Despite the diversity of solved problems in determining the geometric shape of disk implements designed to work on heavy soils, still not enough justified parameters of the disk working body. Therefore, this paper establishes the dependence of disc parameters on the depth of working the soil, taking into account the friction forces to ensure the condition of clamping of the material. Theoretical studies allow us to establish the relationship of disc parameters with soil treatment modes to ensure sustainable operation. Particularly, the influence of the shape of disk working organ on providing conditions of sliding cutting is revealed. Formulas for determining the parameters of the disk tillage tool and the method of its calculation can find practical use in the development of the working body in the factory conditions.

The short term effect of tillage on soil physicochemical properties in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The objective of the research was to determine the effect of different tillage methods on some soil physicochemical properties in Niger Delta University Teaching and Research Farms. The land was divided into plots measuring 5 x 5 m with three replicates per treatment. Five tillage treatments considered were: No Till, hoeing, digging, hoeing + digging once, and hoeing + digging twice. Two samples were collected per plot at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depth. A total number of thirty (30) samples were collected from the field. The research was laid out using the Randomized Complete Block Design. Results showed that the tillage methods had no significant effect on the soil's chemical properties but influenced the physical. Mean pH across all plots ranged from 4.42–4.49 indicating strongly acidic state, electrical conductivity ranged 65.67-82 dS m-1 indicating no salinity stress, detrimental to crops; organic carbon and organic matter were moderate with a range of 18.52-21.55 g kg-1 and 37.03-43.10 g kg-1 respectively. Total nitrogen was at its moderate range of 7.88-12.17 g kg-1. Exchangeable acidity was low with a range of 1.52-1.71 cmol kg-1. The tillage methods influenced soil bulk density and porosity; the highest bulk density was recorded in the NT zone (1.18 g cm-3) which decreased steadily with an increase in tillage intensity. With the hoe+digging (twice) recording the lowest value of 0.94 g cm-3. Similarly, the highest porosity value was found in the tillage method with the lowest bulk density value (0.94 g cm-3: 64.7%), while the lowest was observed in the tillage method with the highest bulk density value (1.18 g cm-3: 55.7%). pH had positive correlation (P&amp;lt;0.05) with electrical conductivity (r=0.62), organic carbon (r=0.94), organic matter (r=0.90), and negative correlation with exchangeable acidity (r=-0.52). Organic carbon had strong positive correlation with organic matter (r=0.99), effective cation exchange capacity (r=0.69), clay (r=0.50), and total nitrogen (r=0.61). Silt (r=0.74) and clay (r=0.70) showed positive relationship with bulk density, while bulk density (r= -0.99) showed strong negative correlation with porosity. It is therefore recommended that crude tillage methods be used for sustainable and conservative agriculture.

Occurrence and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonising off-season and in-season weeds and their relationship with maize yield under conservation agriculture

Weeds are responsible for major crop losses worldwide but can provide beneficial agroecosystem services. This study aimed to elucidate how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in weeds respond to host identity and conservation agricultural practices. The study was carried out at two locations in Southern Africa during off-season and in-season maize cultivation. Off-season AMF root colonisation, diversity indices and community composition significantly differed among weed species at both locations. Glomus sp. VTX00280 explains most of the AMF community differences. In-season, implementation of conventional tillage with mulching alone (CT + M) or together with crop rotation (CT + M + R) resulted in a 20% increase in AMF colonisation of the constantly occurring weed species, Bidens pilosa (BIDPI) and Richardia scabra (RCHSC), compared with conventional tillage plus rotations (CT + R). The diversity of AMF was highest under no-tillage plus mulching (NT + M). Off-season and in-season AMF structures of both BIDPI and RCHSC were not related, but 39% of the taxa were shared. Structural equation modelling showed a significant effect of the cropping system on weed AMF diversity parameters and weed and maize root colonisation, but no significant influence of weed root AMF traits and maize colonisation was detected on maize yield. This may be explained by the improvement in weed competitive ability, which may have offset the AMF-mediated benefits on yield. Our findings highlight that implementing M and CR to CT and NT positively affected weed AMF colonisation and diversity. The similarity between the off-season and in-season AMF composition of weeds supports the fact that weeds functionally host AMF during the non-crop period.

Effect of Tillage Implement practices on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Two Maize Hybrid (Zea mays L.)

The field experimental was conducted (2020-2021) at Trppaspyan village and Research center of Agriculture Ainkawa to evaluate the influence of different tillage systems with two cultivars in two locations on growth and yield of maize. The experimental design includes eight treatments with three replication and laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design factorial. The treatments include: chisel plow (T1), moldboard plow (T2), harrow disc (T3), zero tillage (T4) with two cultivars. Each plot measured 30 m long x 3 m wide with spacing of 75 cm and distance plant to plant contain 20 cm between replicates. A tacks soil sample (30 cm) to test soil analysis in the Laboratory of Soil Science, Research center of Agriculture (Ainkawa). The data collected where analysis of variance (ANOVA) table after which significant mean values were separated using Duncan test at P &lt;0.05) according SAS program and excel statistical program. The results of the study showed various tillage systems had no significant effect on the growth and yield parameters. Meanwhile, there was significant effect in some of growth parameters, as well as the grain yield of maize. It can be concluded that the effect moldboard plow and harrow disc implement of tillage systems due to improving growth and yield component of maize compared to other tillage treatments and decrease weed growth in arid lands.

Water quality effects of cover crop, grazing and tillage implementation in a long-term no-till wheat system

Agricultural anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) continue to be major surface and subsurface water pollutants in developed countries. Integrated crop-livestock systems in the semi-arid Texas Rolling Plains are characterized by continuously cultivated monoculture combined with grazing. Improperly managed grazing can increase soil compaction, and subsequently, decrease infiltration, which leaves the soil exposed to erosion. Grazing is therefore of paramount importance to water quality. Cover crop (CC) use improves soil ecosystem services and functions. The objective of the current study was to characterize soil water quality following CC under continuous wheat (Triticum aestivum), grazing, tillage, and no-till practices under a typic Haplustepts, Rotan clay loam soil type. Treatments evaluated include 1) conventional tillage without a CC (CT); 2) no-till without a CC (NT); 3) no-till with a CC (NTC); and 4) no-till with a grazed CC (NTCG). Portable rainfall simulators were used to assess surface runoff water quantity and quality after CC implementation in a long-term no-till continuous wheat system. Cover crop treatments, both grazed and un-grazed, reduced the amount of runoff by 4–6 times compared to no CC treatments (NT and CT). Converting 12-year-old NT to CT reduced infiltration by at least 43 % and increased runoff by 58 % compared to long-term NT. Consequently, total solids load and concentration for CT were 4–14 times greater than all NT treatments (NT, NTC, NTCG). Conventional tillage (CT) also increased total P loads and concentrations by 2–11-fold compared to all NT treatments (p < 0.05). Rainfall events occurring within three weeks after CC termination resulted in about 6 times greater soluble reactive P (SRP) (except NTCG) and about 2–3 times greater dissolved organic C (DOC) concentrations from CC treatments than non-CC treatments, although this was not observed for subsequent runoff events. Tilling the soil had more deleterious effects compared to flash grazing CC. Adopting NT, either alone, or long-term in combination with CC (either flash grazed or un-grazed) are potentially sustainable viable practices in semiarid regions that can reduce environmental contamination.

Determination of Draught Requirement of Single-furrow Mouldboard Plough in Sandy Loam Soil in Yola, Northeastern Nigeria

The draught requirement of a single-furrow animal-drawn mouldboard plough implement was determined on sandy loam soils from June to July 2021 at Modibbo Adama University, Yola. The effect of speeds (0.65, 0.83, and 1.05 ms-1) and depths (8, 13, and 18 cm) upon the draught was investigated. Soil analysis, animal specification, and results of tillage experiments are reported. A pair of oxen weighing 538 kg was used as a power source. A 1 x 3 x 3 factorial experimental design was arranged in a Randomized Complete Design (RCD) for the study on a test plot of 50 m long x 25 m wide and replicated three times. The highest mean draught values of 458.43 N and the lowest mean draught values of 456.03 N were obtained at a speed and depth combination of 1.05 ms-1 and 0.183 m and 0.65 ms-1 and 0.083 m, respectively, with a unit draught of 11.07kpa. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) between speed and depth had a significant effect at a 1 % level of probability (P≤0.01) on draught requirement. Linear regression equations showed an increase in draught with an increase in tillage depth and speed. The high coefficient of determination r2 values show that the plough is operated more economically at a mean speed of 0.83 m/s and a depth of 0.135 m. These regression equations can predict draught during the design of animal-drawn tillage implementation. Substantial energy savings can be obtained with proper animal-tillage implements combination.

Fragmentation of soil-root complexes in sloping landscapes during tillage and soil translocation

It is well known that roots play a significant role in reducing water erosion in soil, yet few studies have reported the influence of crop roots on soil translocation induced by tillage in sloping fields. To examine the relationship between soil-root complexes (i.e., complexes of wheat roots and soil) and soil redistribution caused by tillage, a series of tillage experiments were carried out on bare soil and areas of wheat sown by drilling ( DS ) and nesting ( NS) using nine slopes with gradients varying from 0.19 to 0.32 m m −1 . The magnetic tracing technique was used to determine soil translocation rates under hoeing tillage in sloping landscapes in response to soil-root complexes and bare soil. The results indicated that mean displacement distance for DS and NS in the downslope direction was 0.15 m and 0.16 m, respectively. This was much shorter than that of bare soil which was 0.26 m. Mean tillage erosion rates ranged from 14.58 to 19.15 Mg ha −1 per tillage pass for DS and 13.90 –21.10 Mg ha −1 per tillage pass for NS , while reached 31.23–36.31 Mg ha −1 per tillage pass for bare soil. Tillage transport coefficients ( k 3 and k 4 ) were 6.31 and 106.46 kg m −1 per tillage pass for DS , 6.58 and 118.68 kg m −1 per tillage pass for NS , and 28.12 and 151.07 kg m −1 per tillage pass for bare soil, respectively. A significant difference in cohesive force ( C ) was found between DS ( NS ) and bare soil ( P < 0.05), thereby resulting in an increase in the soil shear strength of soil-root complexes. Compared with those of bare soil, the soil fractal dimension of soil-root complexes decreased significantly due to an increase in the percentage of coarse clods (>100 and 100–80 mm) and a decrease in the percentage of fine clods (50–20 and < 20 mm). Mean soil displacement distance caused by tillage displayed a negative relationship with C and wheat root traits (the root density, the root length density, and the root area ratio) within the hilly landscape of soil-root complexes ( P < 0.05), implying that wheat roots played a crucial part in soil translocation and soil fragmentation during hoeing tillage. Our study revealed that soil-root complexes markedly reduce the soil downslope transfer process during tillage and prevent the break-up of large clods by tillage implements on sloping farmland. • Wheat root attenuated the mechanical breakage of clods during tillage operation. • Root systems increase soil shear strength and reduce fragmentation of soil clods. • Displacement distance for soil-root complexes was smaller than that for bare soil. • Tillage erosion decreased with increasing structure stability and cohesive force.