Tillage Operations Research Articles

Effect of different types of soil tillage for sunflower on some soil physical characteristics. Part II: bulk density and soil temperature

Abstract The investigation was carried out during 2014–2016 in the land of General Toshevo, the South Dobrudzha region of Bulgaria on slightly leached chernozem soil type. The effect of the types of soil tillage for sunflower given bellow was followed: ploughing at 24–26 cm, chisel-plough at 24–26 cm, disking with disk harrow at 10–20 cm and direct sowing (no-tillage) on the bulk density, the moisture content and the temperature of soil. The additional soil tilths of the areas subjected to ploughing, chisel-ploughing and disking with disc harrow included double spring pre-sowing cultivation with harrowing. To destroy the emerging weeds in the variant with direct sowing, a total herbicide was applied. The investigated physical parameters of soil were followed during three main stages of sunflower development: emergence, flowering and technical maturity. The bulk density of soil was determined by soil samples taken from the 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm layers. The soil temperature was read at 800, 1200 and 1600 h to depth 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 cm with classical soil thermometer. For evaluation of the results dispersion and regression analyses were used. In the slightly leached chernozem soil type, the conventional ploughing leads to lower bulk density in the cultivated soil profile. Under minimal tillage, slight increase of bulk density of the layer underlying the cultivated one was observed over time. The bulk density under tillage without turning of the soil layer and no-tillage was changed and formed primarily under the influence of physical and climatic factors, and under minimal tillage – under the cultivated layer. Under all investigated types of soil tillage, bulk density increased down the soil profile. Replacing ploughing with tillage without turning of the soil layer, minimal and no-tillage lead to decrease of soil temperature. The most significant differences were observed in the 0–10 layer, which, on its part, conditioned accumulation and transfer of thermal energy along the soil profile. The soil temperature decreased with the reduction of the number and depth of the soil tillage operations. The temperature amplitudes between the surface layer and the underlying soil horizons in the areas with ploughing, chisel ploughing minimal and no-tillage were lower. The results concerning the values of the investigated physical properties of soil under different types of soil tillage were statistically significant at different levels of P.

Is Tillage a Suitable Option for Weed Management in Conservation Agriculture?

In Europe, conservation agriculture (CA) is currently challenged by higher weed pressure, potential glyphosate ban and reduced crop yield. Based on preliminary results and a critical analysis, we provide insights on how to assess the effect of introducing different levels of tillage intensity, after a long-term CA sequence, on weed communities and crop yield. The experiment compared three types of fallow management (ploughing (CT), reduced tillage (RT), no-till with glyphosate (NT)) on four fields after 17 years of no-plough, which ended with 7 years of CA. The introduction of tillage proved to be a major driver of weed communities before weeding (density, richness and composition) in winter wheat. Weed density and species richness before weeding was greatest in RT, intermediate in CT and lowest in NT. The number of grains per ear and crop yield increased with tillage intensity (+11% for RT, +31% for CT). We provide avenues for future research through detailed methods and key references. Differences in winter wheat productivity were possibly related to enhanced soil structure and increased mineralisation of soil organic matter. Potential benefits of occasional ploughing will depend on the density and composition of the newly upwelled weed seedbank, which will need to be assessed before implementing tillage. From a multicriteria perspective, the long-term benefits associated with CA could largely exceed short-term yield increases associated with occasional tillage. Future studies will need to characterize the impact of occasional tillage operations on the long-term multiperformance of CA systems.

Efeito de mobilizações com tração animal em propriedades físicas do solo

The purpose of the study was to observe the effect of animal traction mobilization on soil physical properties. The study was conducted in February 2018, in an agricultural area with corn stubble, inserted in Quinta do Poulao, Braganca. The site underwent temporal division, and sampling was done before and after tillage operations. The implements used were the scarifier, the moldboard plow and the combination of both, separated into two groups, for mechanized and animal traction. The study variables were initial (Ki) and final (Kf) permeability, bulk density (Dap), total porosity (P), maximum water capacity (CMA) and field capacity (CC). The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the two types of traction employed; however, significant differences were identified between the moment of application of the treatments for the variables Ki, Kf, Dap, CC and CMA. Thus, the input of machinery or animal-powered implements exerted changes in the soil, especially in relation to water retention and movement, positively affecting these parameters. This demonstrates the need for further long-term studies to further evaluate the effect of animal traction on soil properties.

Tillage Effects on Cotton Performance and Soil Quality in an Irrigated Arid Cropping System

Reducing tillage has become necessary in irrigated, arid cropping systems in southwestern USA, to address soil degradation and erosion problems associated with intensive soil tillage. A study was conducted in arid southwestern USA, to compare a reduced tillage method (strip tillage) to two conventional tillage methods (plow tillage and raised bed tillage) for irrigated upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production. Strip tillage (ST) was established in a single pass by a strip tillage equipment, while the plow tillage (PT) consisted of plowing, disking the soil twice, subsoiling and harrowing. The raised bed tillage (BT) consisted of all the tillage operations under PT method, with an additional tillage event to shape the beds. Crop and soil parameters were assessed during the growing seasons. Soil physical and biological measurements were assessed at the beginning of the trial before planting, and at the end of each cropping season. Results show no significant differences in cotton yield and fiber quality parameters under the tillage systems tested. Out of the soil physical measurements assessed, the cone index (CI) significantly differed with tillage systems during the mid-season assessments, with BT generally having better CI than ST and PT. Other physical measurements were not significant with tillage, but significantly declined over time irrespective of tillage treatments. Out of the soil biological measurements assessed, the total fungal biomass and the arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi biomass were significant with tillage, with ST and BT having higher measurements than PT. In contrast to soil physical measurements that declined, most of the soil biological measurements improved over time. Comparing some soil biological measurements at the beginning to the end of the trial across the tillage treatments, the total microbial biomass increased from 714 to 3565 ng/g, the total bacterial biomass increased from 321 to 1478 ng/g, and the total fungal biomass increased from 84 to 436 ng/g. This study shows that ST can perform adequately for sustainable cotton production in an irrigated arid region of United States.

Prediction of cutting forces and soil behavior with discrete element simulation

A Discrete Element Method (DEM), a computerized testing rig and a soil bin were used to explain soil profile deformation caused by mouldboard plough. By using DEM, the motion of particles is given by collisions between particles. Soil-tillage tool interaction simulation was established by a 3D geometry of a mouldboard plough created using PTC Creo Parametric 3D Modelling software and soil bed modeled by discrete element particles using EDEM software. A bond element was introduced between particles and cohesion of soil was formed to create a simulation of the actual cohesive soil. The horizontal and vertical forces and soil disturbance in terms of bulk density at different speeds and depths were investigated. However, the simulation experiments followed the field experiments which were conducted using a computerized testing rig. Further, reaction forces on the plough and the resulting bulk densities were estimated from the simulated results and compared with the actual results from the field. Also, the accuracy of the developed model to predict soil displacement was measured and compared with the soil bin data with the average relative error of 1.317%. The simulated results of horizontal, vertical forces and bulk density matched well with the results obtained in the field experiment with the relative error of 4.435, 3.029 and 3.119% respectively. The vertical force provided the best regression results of 0.9948 R2 with RMSE of 0.5964, followed by 0.9884 R2 with RMSE of 0.4089 and 0.8391 R2 with RMSE of 0.5441 for horizontal force and bulk density respectively. All regression results were obtained at p<0.05. The ANOVA test showed that the p-values for the horizontal force, vertical force and bulk density were 0.753, 0.695 and 0.025 respectively. There was no significant difference between the simulation and experiment results for cutting forces while there was a significant difference for the bulk density at p<0.05. This model can be applied as an accurate, consistent and fast method of effective prediction of the final soil condition and forces needed for tillage operation.

The effects of tillage on seed-soil contact and seedling establishment

An increase in seed-soil contact is a key objective of field tillage operations, as it can improve the maintenance of water supply for germination under varying environmental conditions and improve establishment. However, the effects of management techniques on the microstructure of the soil, and especially on the region immediately surrounding the seed, have not yet been extensively studied. Using X-ray computed tomography (CT) to quantify the 3D soil microstructure, we revealed high variability in the seed-soil contact under varying field conditions. Tillage operation had a significant effect on seed-soil contact (as measured by image analysis) with loamy sand soil ranging from 15 % (minimum tillage) to 30 % (maximum tillage) compared to 5% (ploughed and syncro) to 15 % (ploughed) in silty clay loam soil. However, differences in seedbed porosity did not lead to significant differences in seed-soil contact and subsequent establishment. Intensive farming did not necessarily result in ideal seedbed conditions or high precision with respect to sowing. As such, it appears that farmers are only able to minimally impact seed-soil contact via tillage operations.

Realtime measurement of human labor energy for primary tillage operation in paddy cultivation

Human labor energy still provides a large and dominant contribution in rice cultivation in Indonesia. This study is specified to determine human energy needed for primary tillage operation in paddy cultivation practices in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatera Indonesia. The objectives of this research are to analyze human energy expenditure for primary tillage operation and to compare between real-time measurement and conversion factor of energy. The data were collected with three different plot areas with average size 30 m × 25 m. The analysis of human energy consumption conducted by two methods (predicted energy using conversion factor value of energy and real-time energy using Garmin Forerunner 35). The result shows that the real-time measurements of labor energy expenditure for primary tillage operation were 17.7291, 19.2857, and 12.2483 MJ/ha, respectively. However, the labor energy defined by the conversion factor were 13.3568, 14.0141 and 12.7498 MJ/ha, respectively. Thus, tillage operation with average heart beat rate was 127 bpm, it could be categorized as heavy work. This information is needed as a basis to improve and recommend designing of agricultural equipment and machinery, and also tools to reduce the use of labor energy.

Mechanization Status, Promotional Activities and Government Strategies of Thailand and Vietnam in Comparison to Bangladesh

Reasonable use of agricultural machinery has an extraordinary potential for poverty alleviation by increasing land and labor productivity in Thailand, Vietnam, and even in Bangladesh. This study was conducted under a program entitled “Agriculture Mechanization, Agro-Processing, Value addition and Export Market Development in Thailand and Vietnam from 1–14 November, 20I9” from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh. In all three distinct nations, farming activities represent a significant area of activity and remains the biggest wellspring of agricultural business. About 10.5% of Thailand’s, 21.5% of Vietnam’s, and 14.23% of Bangladesh’s GDP come from agriculture. For sustainable development, it is essential to modernize agriculture through the mechanization of its operations, which is therefore inevitable in the studied countries. Thailand’s government started mechanization in 1891 with the import of steam-powered tractor and rotary hoes. Since then the country has witnessed several milestones in the course of mechanization development. The focal plain agro-ecological zone of the state is the maximum and almost fully modernized area. As of now, there are two methods of practicing farming apparatus use: as a proprietor and/or through custom renting provision which coincides with Vietnam and Bangladesh. Historically, mechanization patterns in Vietnam can been described by tillage machinery with associated implement equipment use preceding 1975. This was non-linear, followed by a decreasing trend during the 80s prior to recovery during the 90s, with significant disparities in implementation status across the areas. In 2018, the number of tillage implements and harvesters was boosted about 1.6 and 25.6 times, respectively compared with 2006. The percentage of machinery use in soil tillage operation is 80% of the whole territory of cultivable land in Vietnam, compared to about 90% in Bangladesh and 100% in Thailand. Mechanization in Bangladesh started before independence with the importation of 2-wheel tractors and irrigation pumps in the last part of the 1960s as part of ‘Green Revolution’ activities. To continue this momentum, the Bangladesh Government permitted the continuation of agricultural machinery importation after later autonomy. Machinery use in different agricultural activities has increased in recent years in the areas of irrigation, land preparation, intercultural operation, and threshing. Though its degree of advancement is by and large still quite low contrasted with other South Asian nations, it is noticeable that the most recent two decades, the pace of mechanization has increased rapidly with the increase of mechanical power use in farm activities. The use of farm machinery in rice cultivation has been the most amazing when contrasted with different crops in these three nations. A clear comparison has been given in the paper, which aims to help researchers and policymakers take necessary measures.

Can reduced tillage buffer the future climate warming effects on maize yield in different soil types of West Africa?

The sustainable intensification of crop production in West Africa is constrained by soil degradation exacerbated by climatic factors such as excessive rainfall and high temperature. Adoption of climate-smart soil and crop management practices could buffer future extreme weather effects on maize yield. To test this hypothesis, the overarching aim of our study was to (i) calibrate and evaluation the DSSAT model for maize and parameterize the DSSAT tillage module for different tillage practices (contour ridge tillage and reduced tillage), and (ii) simulate the effects of different management options (tillage and crop residue incorporation) to buffer future extreme climate events on maize yield in four soil types (Lixisols and Plinthosols) located in two landscape positions (upslope and footslopes) of Benin and Burkina-Faso in West Africa, using two climate scenarios (baseline and 2 °C above pre-industrial period). Scenario analysis was performed using factorial combination of two tillage operations (contour ridge and reduced tillage), one crop residue treatment (with crop residue), and two N fertilizer rates (recommended N rate: 60 kg ha−1 and double recommended N rate: 120 kg ha−1) using HAPPI dataset.Model performance (calibration, evaluation and tillage model parameterization) was good as indicated by the lower normalized root mean square error (nRMSE, 12 %–18 %) and mean root absolute error (MRAE, 10 %–16 %), and higher d-index (0.78−0.93) depending on tillage practices and soil types. Long term future climate simulations and cumulative probability distribution confirmed that with both fertilization cases (recommended and double recommended), contour ridge tillage along with crop residue application could enhance maize yield (4 %–7 %) at upslope field sites under a future 2 °C warming scenario, where soil erosion and loss of water and nutrients through runoff is a serious risk. Simultaneously, reduced tillage with crop residue application under both fertilization cases could be a valuable alternative to farmer’s practice in fields with deep soils at footslope position (St1 and St3), as it resulted in a higher increase of maize yield (14.5 %) under future 2 °C warming scenario compared to the baseline and could be preferred by risk-averse farmers. Maize production on gravelly soils with low water retention capacity (St1, 63−66 mm) may suffer (-11 %) from future 2 °C warming regardless of the tillage practice. However, despite the significant site-specific tillage effects, intensified N fertilizer application could reduce maize yield losses on St2, St3, and St4, irrespective of tillage practices by improving maize N uptake under elevated CO2 during future warming period. Hence, the application of site-specific tillage operations and crop residue application has the potential to buffer future warming effects on maize yield as confirmed by DSSAT simulations.

Effects of five different biochars on aggregation, water retention and mechanical properties of paddy soil: A field experiment of three-season crops

Biochar can improve a number of soil physical properties but few studies focused on the impacts of different biochars on soil Atterberg limits and mechanical strength in paddy fields. A field experiment was performed to evaluate the influences of five different biochars on soil physical properties of a paddy soil (Stagnic Anthosol). Biochars produced from rice straw (RB), maize straw (MB), wheat straw (WB), rice husk (HB) and bamboo (BB) were applied to the paddy field with the rate of 0, 11.25, and 22.5 t ha−1, respectively. After three consecutive crops (rice-rape-maize) plantation, the biochar-amended soils were collected to determine a number of soil physical parameters. Compared with control treatment, the application of five biochars at the rate of 22.5 t ha−1 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of macroaggregates larger than 5 mm in diameter and aggregate stability evaluated by Le Bissonnais’s methodology. Biochar treatments significantly (p < 0.05) increased soil water retention capacity at matric potential of -0.033 and -1.5 MPa, and consequently, enhanced available water content (AWC) in soil. Biochars at the rate of 22.5 t ha-1 treatments increased the AWC by 15.5, 17.1, 26.4, 42.4, and 15.2 % for RB, MB, WB, HB, and BB, respectively. Biochar application could significantly increase the plastic index (PI) of soil, thus effectively extend soil cultivable water range. The application of biochar significantly reduced the tensile strength and cohesion, but no significant effect on internal frication angle of soil was observed. The application of biochars at the rate of 22.5 t ha−1, on average, increased the yield of first season crop (rice) by 6.3∼13.3 %, but only RB and HB treatments significantly increased the yield of second season crop (rape), and RB, WB, and HB significantly increased the yield of third season crop (maize). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image and elemental mapping of biochars indicated that biochar could alter pore characteristics (size distribution, shape, connectivity, and porosity) of soil, consequently affecting water retention and mechanical strength of soil. Overall, the HB exhibited the largest effect on the AWC, Atterberg limits, and crop yield. The biochar amendment increased the crop yield by improving soil workability for tillage operations and reducing mechanical resistance to crop root growth.

Long-term impacts of conservation tillage on Mediterranean agricultural soils: shifts in microbial communities despite limited effects on chemical properties

Mediterranean ecosystems are especially sensitive to the effects of intensive agriculture. Therefore, sustainable practices based on the protection of organic matter and water in soil are of great interest in these systems. Among these practices, tillage and crop rotation could induce changes in soil properties and consequently on soil microbial communities, which play a fundamental role in soil fertility. In this work we evaluated the changes in some soil chemical and biochemical properties induced by different tillage types -non-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and traditional tillage (TT)- in a trial that was established 10 years ago in a typical Mediterranean crop rotation. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) was performed to test the effect of tillage on the structure of the soil microbial community. Two soil samplings were performed, one after tillage operation (fallow period) and the other during the late stage of a legume crop to compare the effects of long-term tillage and crop development in these variables. Results indicated that conservation tillages (NT and RT) had positive effects on soil chemical properties (mainly on soil N) in comparison to TT, especially during the fallow period. Crop production, however, was similar between treatments. Some biochemical (enzyme activities) and biological (PLFA profile) parameters were better indicators of the effect of tillage type on soil than chemical variables. PLFA profiles were more different among tillage types during the fallow period, but when PLFAs were assigned into functional groups the tillage effect was more evident after crop development, when conservation tillage (NT and RT) promoted a higher abundance of soil fungi over bacteria. We strongly recommend that PLFA analysis should be performed on fallow period before tillage operations, and to couple PLFA measurement with at least one method of microbial activity in order to fully assess the impact of different tillage systems on soil functioning. The results have allowed, to 1) quantify the effect of tillage on the distribution of bacterial and fungal communities in the soil (PLFA) and on its functionality (enzyme activities) during the development of a legume crop and 2) establish that the combined use of chemical and biological variables is necessary to set up indicators of soil quality in tillage comparison trials.

Tillage implement with vibrating working body

A tillage implement with a vibrating working body based on a chisel cultivator allows to reduce the implement traction resistance by creating resonance to 35%. The use of an eccentric vibration generator contributes to a significant reduction in tillage operation energy costs, due to the decrease in the strength characteristics of the soil itself, without leaving the agrotechnological requirements framework.

Power Transmission Efficiency Analysis of 42 kW Power Agricultural Tractor According to Tillage Depth during Moldboard Plowing

In order to optimize tractor design and optimize efficiency during tillage operation, it is essential to verify the impact through field tests on factors affecting the tractor load. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of tillage depth on power transmission efficiency of 42 kW power agricultural tractor during moldboard plowing. A load measurement system and a tillage depth measurement system were configured for field tests. To analyze the effect of tillage depth on power transmission efficiency and fuel consumption, the data measured in the three-repeated field test were classified according to tillage depth. As the tillage depth increased from 11 cm at the top of the hardpan to 23 cm at the deepest, the required power of the engine increased by approximately 13% from 35.48 kW to 40.11 kW, and the power transmission efficiency also increased significantly from 66% to 95%. Among them, the power transmission efficiency of the rear axle was significantly increased from 38% to 59%, which was the most affected. As the tillage depth increased, the overall power requirement is greatly increased due to the resulting workload, but the fuel consumption and the specific fuel consumption are reduced because the engine speed of the tractor is reduced. As the tillage depth increased from 11 cm to 23 cm, the fuel consumption rate was rather reduced by 13.5% as the engine rotational speed decreased 11.3% due to the increase work load of tractor. In addition, the specific fuel consumption decreased from 302.44 g/kWh to 236.93 g/kWh, showing a fuel consumption saving of up to 21.7% during moldboard plow. In addition, as the tillage depth increased, the ratio of the value excluding the mechanical and hydraulic power requirements has significantly decreased from 34% to 5% as the power transmission efficiency increases. This study considers the soil properties according to the soil depth, as well as the power transmission efficiency and fuel consumption rate. The research results can provide useful information for research on power transmission efficiency and selection of an appropriate power source of agricultural tractor according to tillage depth during moldboard plowing and are expected to be used in various ways as basic studies of digital farming research in agricultural machinery.

Investigation of Input and Output Energy for Wheat Production: A Comprehensive Study for Tehsil Mailsi (Pakistan)

The global increasing food demand can be met by efficient energy utilization in mechanized agricultural productions. In this study, input–output energy flow along with CO2 emissions for different wheat production cases (C-I to C-V) were investigated to identify the one that is most energy-efficient and environment-friendly case. Data and information about input and output sources were collected from farmers through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Input and output sources were converted into energy units by energy equivalents while CO2 emissions were calculated by emission equivalents. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was conducted to compare technical efficiencies of the developed cases for optimization of inputs in inefficient cases. Results revealed that case C-Ⅴ (higher inputs, larger fields, the tendency of higher fertilizer application and tillage operations) has the highest energy inputs and outputs than the rest of the cases. Moreover, it possesses the lowest energy use efficiency and energy productivity. The highest CO2 emissions (1548 kg-CO2/ha) referred to C-Ⅴ while lowest emissions per ton of grain yield were determined in C-Ⅳ (higher electricity water pumping, moderate energy input). The grain yield increases directly with input energy in most of the cases, but it does not guarantee the highest values for energy indices. C-Ⅲ (moderate irrigations, educated farmers, various fertilizer applications) was found as an optimum case because of higher energy indices like energy use efficiency of 4.4 and energy productivity of 153.94 kg/GJ. Optimum input and better management practices may enhance energy proficiency and limit the traditionally uncontrolled CO2 emissions from wheat production. Therefore, the agricultural practices performed in C-Ⅲ are recommended for efficient cultivation of wheat in the studied area.

Exploring the best tillage option in rice based diversified cropping systems in alluvial soil of eastern India

Continuous rice–wheat cropping system with intensive conventional tillage operations have been showing natural resource degradation. Hence, the sustainability of this major cropping system in eastern India is under a threat. Adoption of resource conservation such as conservation tillage practice with residue retention on the soil and diversification of the rice–wheat cropping system with the inclusion of pulses, oilseeds may lead towards achieving overall sustainability of the system. Attempts were made to evaluate the different tillage practices viz. zero tillage (ZT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) under rice based various cropping systems viz. rice–wheat–greengram, rice–Lathyrus–greengram, rice–lentil–greengram and rice–rapeseed–greengram in terms of system productivity, nutrient uptake by the system, recovery efficiency (RE) of added nutrients, soil microbial population and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in alluvial soil of eastern India. Results revealed significant increase in system productivity, nutrient uptake and RE of N, P and K in RT. The maximum microbial population was found in ZT. Cereal dominated cropping system (rice–wheat–greengram) showed higher productivity and nutrient uptake, however, the recovery efficiency of nutrient and microbial population was recorded higher in legume dominated cropping systems (rice–lentil–greengram or rice–Lathyrus–greengram). The maximum N2O emission was recorded in ZT, which was almost 3–6% higher than that of RT and CT, respectively. Overall, reduced tillage was found to be the most suitable tillage option under rice based diversified cropping systems.

Parameters-adapters of wheeled tractors

The article considers the rationale for the adapter parameters of wheeled tractors using high-speed tillage units. Models and an algorithm for optimizing the traction-speed regime and the specific gravity of wheeled tractors for operational tillage technologies were proposed. As the basic factors of influence, we used the characteristics of the towing and coupling properties of tractors and the resistivity of serial and high-speed working machines in tillage operations, which were established based on the results of modeling and experiments. The maximum speed mode of the units was established from the condition of a minimum of energy costs attributed to the product of specific productivity and speed, and minimum with a minimum value of the ratio of specific energy consumption and productivity. The rational value of the specific gravity of the tractor for an individual operation or a group of related tillage operations in terms of energy intensity corresponds to the nominal traction and speed mode with maximum traction efficiency and nominal speed, which ensures an increase in specific energy consumption of no more than 10-12%. The specific gravity was 66-69 kg/kW for moldboard plowing by high-speed plows at 2.5 m/s (9.0 km/h), which is achieved by installing on the tractor, depending on the basic configuration, removable ballast with a specific gravity of 7-13 kg/kW. In operations of the second and third energy-intensive groups, the mass of ballast must be reduced to 0-5 kg/W. When working with serial mounted plows in the speed range of 7-9 km/h, to increase the specific gravity to 71-74 kg/kW, it is advisable to use a tractor hydraulic loader.

Improving energy efficiency and environmental mitigation through tillage management in faba bean production

Faba beans are an important crops in the agricultural crop rotations and are valuable as medicine, food and feed. Faba beans improve the soil, reduces the utilization of chemical fertilizers for future crops and contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution in agriculture. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential for environmental mitigation, including the reduction of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural inputs, and the potential for improving the energy efficiency in faba bean production by managing tillage intensity. Experiments in faba bean production were performed using five tillage methods with different intensities: T-1-C, conventional tillage with deep ploughing at a depth of 23–25 cm (as a control); T-2, shallow ploughing at a depth of 12–15 cm; T-3, deep chiselling at a depth of 23–25 cm; T-4 – shallow cultivation at a depth of 12–15 cm; and NT, no-tillage. The results showed that the replacement of deep ploughing with lower-intensity tillage operations in faba bean production reduced fuel consumption by 9.8–50.8%, total energy consumption by 298–1194 MJ ha−1 and total GHG emissions by 21–128 kg CO2eq ha−1. The highest yields of beans (4.41 Mg ha−1) and energy output (88,133 MJ ha−1) were obtained under treatment T-3, whereas the best energy productivity (0.37 kg MJ−1) and energy efficiency ratio (7.43), and the lowest environmental pollution (481 CO2eq ha−1) were observed under the NT treatment. The analyse of energy efficiency and pollution in this research led to very important findings: less intensive and more soil-friendly tillage practices have a considerable potential for environmental mitigation in agriculture and simultaneously improve energy efficiency without reducing yield.

Comprimento do talhão na operação de preparo do solo com grade média

A utilização da mecanização agrícola tornou mais eficiente as práticas agrícolas, destacando-se o trator que permitiu a realização de práticas de cultivo mais eficientes. Portanto, objetivou-se determinar o comprimento de talhão que obtenha eficiência de campo de 90% na operação de preparo do solo com grade média em função da velocidade de deslocamento e do comprimento do talhão. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 8x3, com seis repetições, totalizando 96 observações. O primeiro fator foram oito comprimentos de talhões (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 e 240 m). O segundo foram três velocidades de deslocamento (3,0; 4,1 e 4,7 km h-1). Com os dados de rendimento de campo efetivo foi gerado uma curva de resposta para seleção do comprimento de talhão que proporcione rendimento de campo efetivo de 90%. No fator velocidade de deslocamento a maior capacidade de campo operacional ocorreu com 4,7 km h-1. Para o fator comprimento do talhão a maior capacidade de campo operacional e rendimento de campo efetivo foi observada com 240 m. O rendimento de campo efetivo de 90% é alcançado com comprimento de talhão de 120 metros. A capacidade de campo máxima ocorreu com a velocidade de 4,7 km h-1 (0, 93 ha h-1) com o comprimento de talhão de 214 m.

Sustainability of quantitative and qualitative indicators of sugarcane production under different tillage systems (case study: Khuzestan province of Iran)

Increasing tillage operations and their repetition each year often increases the costs and adverse effects on soil physical properties. Rising fuel costs and high initial investment in the purchase of agricultural machinery and equipment, and the insistence on overuse of machinery in agriculture, have caused widespread concern around the world. Furthermore, traffic and additional operations by agricultural machinery are significant concerns. This study was performed at Hakim Farabi Sugarcane Agro-Industrial Company (HFSAIC) in Khuzestan province of Iran. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different tillage systems on the quantitative and qualitative indicators of sugarcane production. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design (CRD), with four treatments including: 1- first-time subsoiler (D8 bulldozer) ​+ ​second-time subsoiler (D8 bulldozer) (conventional operation) 2- Alpego tillage tool 3- Nardi tillage tool 4- subsoiler for the first time (D8 bulldozer) ​+ ​subsoiler five Sheng. The result of analysis of variance showed non-significant differences in most quantitative and qualitative indicators in tillage systems. Analysis of mean comparison in quantitative and qualitative indicators showed that T 2 treatment (Alpego tillage tool) as a minimum tillage system, was a better system among different tillage systems in sugarcane cultivation. Generally, selecting the appropriate tillage system according to the climate conditions of the area and available equipment tools, along with appropriate solutions such as minimum tillage, can be one of the management practices in sugarcane cultivation. • This study was to investigate the quantitative and qualitative indicators. • Assessing the effect of different tillage treatments on sugarcane production. • Alpego tillage treatment is one of the best systems for increasing sugarcane yield. • Conservation tillage systems can prevent erosion by covering the plant residue.

Semantic segmentation: A modern approach for identifying soil clods in precision farming

Clod identification and determination of aggregate size distribution have undeniable importance in tillage operations, it affects other missions in the field regarding the energy issue. The objective of the study is accurate identification of clods based on a state-of-the-art method entitled semantic segmentation. In this regard, a deep network in the domain of deep learning was used. As the shape of clods on the surface of the ground is often irregular, object detection algorithms are unable to determine the boundary and, they only put a bounding box around the objects. Thus, there is a gap in this regard with deep learning based semantic segmentation filling this gap properly. In order to identify soil clods and compute their various geometrical specifications in different sizes and then to deal with the clods according to required action in variable-rate applicators, VGG16, which is a deep model, was used for implementing the semantic segmentation task. RGB images obtained from a stereo camera were used for feeding the proposed model as stereo cameras are relatively robust to the ambient light conditions and provide high resolution data in real field conditions. The pixels in each image of the dataset were divided into five groups of clod size, based on the equivalent diameter of each clod. These image pixels were labeled for training the network and extracting the required features. Finally, different soil clods were segmented and classified. A classical watershed segmentation was applied and the deep model was also trained in binary setting to evaluate the performance of the deep model and the results of the binary segmentations were compared. The mean accuracy and mean intersection over union (IoU) of the binary semantic segmentation reached 89.09% and 80.50%, respectively. Also, the watershed segmentation yielded 85.17% and 72.01%, for the same metrics. These results indicated that the semantic segmentation used in this study has significant advantages over the conventional watershed segmentation method.