Results of on-the-farm tests of a harrowing machine-tractor unit

Abstract

For the Amur Region, due to specific conditions during agricultural field operations in spring, the boardless tillage technique has found widespread use. The choice of this tillage technique is due to the fact that during this period the subsurface layer is oversaturated with moisture which in turn reduces the response of the soil to external factors affecting it. Based on previous studies, it was found that it was possible to solve this problem by regulating the power load on the supporting surfaces of the energy means and the working bodies of the tillage tool. The research goal was to increase the efficiency of using harrowing units at spring field operations taking into account the regional features by increasing the coupling weight of the tractor. The research target was a tillage machine-tractor unit consisting of the Belarus 82.1 tractor and a heavy disc harrow BDT-3. To achieve this research goal, a technical solution was developed and implemented in the form of an additional device installed on the tillage machine-tractor unit. At the same time, it was provided for the determination of the operability of the adapted (with the installed device) tillage machine-tractor unit and to reveal the effect of its structural and technological parameters on the change in the power load. The use of the proposed device made it possible to adapt the energy means to the bearing capacity of the soil and the tillage unit to the physical and mechanical properties of the soil due to the regulation of the power load. The installation of the proposed device makes it possible to control force action on supporting surfaces of power means and working elements of tillage tools within the limits of 11150...11500 N, to increase the capacity per hour of main working time by 14.9% and to reduce fuel consumption per unit of tilled area of the tillage unit by 8.1% of area as compared to a serial machine-tractor unit.