Search Results (14)

In the field of conservation tillage, no-till seeding technology has emerged as an efficient and environmentally friendly form of agricultural production. It is increasingly recognized as a crucial avenue toward sustainable agricultural development. This study focuses on the research of no-till seeding technology, specifically analyzing the technical characteristics of no-till seeders, their principles of operation, and their application. No-till planters are designed to either minimize or eliminate soil tillage. When paired with precision seeding technology, they can significantly reduce soil erosion, promote soil and water conservation, reduce agricultural production costs, and ensure optimal growing conditions for crops. No-till seeding breakers play a critical role in resolving the stubble-breaking issue that is inherent in no-till seeding technology. The integration of no-till planters with stubble breaker knife technology can substantially improve the adaptability and operational efficiency of no-tillage operations under conservation tillage scenarios. This progress offers indispensable technical backup, which not only aims to ramp up food production levels but also contributes agro-ecological protection of the environment. Full article

No-till cotton producers are focused on saving resources by reducing planting rates, while maintaining yields. A 3-year field experiment was conducted in Shorter, Alabama, USA, to evaluate cotton planted into a roll/crimped cereal rye cover crop seeded at rates of 50 and 101 kg ha⁻¹. Cotton planter performance was also compared between a mechanical planter and an electronic planter at speeds of 5.6 and 11.2 km h⁻¹ along with low and high cotton planting rates (90,193 and 180,387 seeds ha⁻¹). Results indicate that cereal rye seeding rates did not affect its biomass. The emergence rate index (ERI) was influenced by the planter type at the 5.6 km h⁻¹ speed with a higher ERI (9.70% day⁻¹) for the mechanical planter compared to a lower ERI (9.05% day⁻¹) for the electronic planter. The cotton population was proportional to planting rates generating 66,650 and 114,178 plants ha⁻¹ at low and high rates. Standard deviation (STD) of cotton plant spacing had a lower STD for the electronic planter compared to the mechanical planter, but did not affect the cotton yield. The seed cotton yield was not dependent on the cover crop seeding rate, planter type, and speed, but differed among years. Drought in 2019 caused a yield reduction (1844 kg ha⁻¹) compared to higher yields of 3981 kg ha⁻¹ in 2018 and 4152 kg ha⁻¹ in 2020. Full article

The complex field environment under conservation tillage aggravates the vibration during a planter’s operation, affecting the sowing quality and fertilization depth. Studying its vibration characteristics can help to realize active vibration reduction control of planter row units. To this end, this paper took a four-row no-till planter as the research object. By establishing a field vibration model of the planter row unit, the factors affecting the vibration of the unit were clarified, and stubble height, working speed and the additional weight of the planter were used as experimental factors in carrying out field orthogonal experiments. In our experiment, we collected and analyzed vibration data on the four-row planter row units and the frame at different positions to explore the influence of various factors on the vibration characteristics of the planter. The experimental results showed that the working speed was the most important factor affecting the vibration of the planter, and the impact of stubble height and additional weight on the amplitude of the planter was more significant at low speed (1.5 m/s) than that at high speed (2.5 m/s). The difference in amplitude of each planter unit in the lateral direction was the largest, the average amplitude range of which was 1.898 m/s². The vibration energy of each planter row unit under different working conditions was mainly concentrated in the range of 10–50 Hz. However, the three-point hitch of the planter transmitted the vibration excitation of the tractor, causing 110–120 Hz high-frequency vibration of the inner row units, while the outer row units were less affected, with the vibration energy, in the range above 100 Hz, being 2.5 dB smaller than that on the inner side. The right ground wheel transmission device was abnormal, which worked together with the excitation transmitted by the three-point hitch, making the average vibration acceleration amplitude of the planter row units on the right side in the lateral direction more than 0.522 m/s² higher than that of the units on the left side. Therefore, different vibration reduction forces need to be applied according to the position of the planter row unit, so that the units can avoid the natural frequency of the frame (115 Hz) when vibrating. This study can provide a reference for active vibration reduction control and improvements in sowing quality for high-speed no-till planters. Full article

To address the low clearance rate issue of the anti-blocking mechanism for maize no-till planters in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China, experiments and simulations were conducted to analyze the individual and collective movements of straw under the action of the round roller-claw anti-blocking mechanism. A tracer-based measurement method for straw displacement was applied firstly. Experimental results showed that the straw forward displacement could be characterized by the average horizontal displacements of longitudinal and lateral tracers, while the straw side displacement could be characterized by the lateral displacement of the longitudinal tracer. The straw forward displacement was 58.95% greater than the side displacement. Forward, side, and total displacements of straw increased as the mechanism’s forward speed increased from 3 km/h to 7 km/h, with corresponding rates of increase at 233.98%, 43.20%, and 162.47%, respectively. Furthermore, a model of straw–soil–mechanism interaction was constructed in EDEM 2022 software. The relative error between experimental and simulated straw clearance rates was 11.20%, confirming the applicability of the simulation model for studying straw–soil–mechanism interaction. Based on the simulation model, three straw tracers of different lengths were selected to study the motion behavior of straw. It was inferred that despite differences in straw length, the movement behaviors of the three straw tracers under the influence of the anti-blocking mechanism were similar. Additionally, longer straws exhibited greater displacements in all directions. This paper serves as a reference for studying straw motion behavior influenced by anti-blocking mechanisms. Full article

To solve the problem of low straw-cutting efficiency of single-disc openers of no-till planters under conditions of high soil moisture content, a single-disc furrowing and straw-cutting device was designed based on the support-cutting principle. To improve the straw-cutting ability of the disc opener when it operates under high-moisture-content soil conditions and to make sure that the straw that is not cut by the disc coulter can be cut smoothly by the disc opener, the support shovel was designed, and the operation mechanism of the support shovel device was analyzed. The soil moisture content, the support shovel’s entry angle, the support shovel’s entry gap angle, and the support shovel’s tip margin were identified as the factors influencing the device design through the theoretical analysis of the furrowing and straw-cutting device. Through the discrete element method (DEM), a single-factor simulation test was first conducted to analyze how different soil moisture contents affected the device’s ability to cut straw, and the results showed that the number of broken bonds was lowest when the soil moisture content was 20 ± 1%, and the time taken for the straw to be wholly cut off was also the longest. Then, a quadratic orthogonal simulation test was conducted to construct a regression model and optimize the parameters at the soil moisture content of 20 ± 1%, and the results revealed that the significant order of each factor’s influence on the number of broken bonds is as follows: entry gap angle, entry angle, and shovel tip margin. In addition, the device’s overall operation quality was better when the entry angle was 49°, the entry gap angle was 0°, and the shovel tip margin was 10 mm. At this time, the number of broken bonds was predicted to be 506. Finally, the simulation validation test was run, and the number of broken bonds was obtained to be 478, with a relative error of 5.6% from the predicted value. According to the optimal parameters to complete the device trial production and field test, the results show that the average cut-off rate of the device is 71.7%, the stability coefficient of the furrowing depth is 90.87%, and the performance of the furrow opening is excellent, which meets the requirements of a no-tillage seeding operation. This study can provide a reference for the design and improvement of no-tillage seeding machines under conditions of high soil moisture content. Full article

In view of the large amount of wheat straw coverage and the difficulty with the high-speed working process used in traditional rotary tillage row cleaner. A row cleaner with staggered disc teeth for no-till planting was designed. It was determined that installation with a forward inclination α, horizontal declination β, and forward speed v₀ of the machine were the main factors affecting the straw cleaning rate Y₁ and working resistance Y₂, and the range of values for structural parameters and motion parameters of the row cleaner were determined. Taking α, β, and v₀ as the factors and Y₁ and Y₂ as the response indexes, using EDEM 2018 software to simulate the straw cleaning process under different parameters and determine the influence of each parameter on the straw cleaning performance. After performing a soil bin test, the results showed that there was no straw entanglement and blockage, and the passability was better than that of the traditional flat disc separated row cleaner. When α was 70°, β was 30°, v₀ was 8 km/h, and the embedded depth h of the soil (straw) was 55 mm, the average straw cleaning rate was the highest, which was 90.59%. This study provides a new idea for the design of high-speed corn no-till planters in the Huang-Huai-Hai area of China. Full article

To avoid the issues of undesired soil compaction and seeding depth variation caused by the downforce fluctuation of the corn no-till planter, the influence of the structural parameters of the air spring on the downforce was researched in this paper, by establishing the gas–solid coupling simulation model of the air spring. The downforce test bench was built to verify the simulation model; the test showed that the vertical output force error of the simulation model was 4.79%, the pitch diameter error was 0.76%, and the pressure error was 5.07%. The cord angle, piston angle and piston diameter were used as influencing factors to carry out single-factor experiments. The influences of structural parameters on downforce were analyzed from four aspects: the vertical output force, the vertical stiffness, the pressure difference and the deformation rate. The results showed that the cord angle reduced the effective area and its change rate during deformation by limiting the radial deformation of the bellow. When the cord angles were 30°, 45° and 60°, the deformation rates were 65.6%, 20.3% and 4.8%, respectively. The cord angle had a positive effect on the vertical output force when the cord angle was in the range of 30~56°, and it had a negative impact in the range of 56~60°. As the cord angle increased, the vertical stiffness decreased. As the piston angle increased, the effective area of the air spring decreased, and the change in internal pressure decreased, reducing its vertical output force and stiffness. The piston diameter had little effect on the internal pressure and deformation rate. It increased the vertical output force and stiffness by increasing the effective area. The structural parameters of the air spring had a significant impact on the stability of the downforce; the structure of the air spring should be optimized according to the downforce demand of the corn no-till planter. Full article

Aiming to solve the problems of easy generation of clods, poor soil fluidity and poor soil-covering effect in the no-tillage seeding operation mode, this study has designed a soil-covering device with a soil-closing function for the chisel-type furrow opener of a corn no-tillage planter. Theoretical analysis and design of the soil dividing plate and the soil-covering disc were carried out, and the key parameters were determined. Then, the soil-covering device with soil-closing function and the soil movement model was constructed in Altair EDEM, and the spatial soil particle mobility was analyzed. The numerical simulation method was combined with the center plane composite response test scheme to carry out the simulation test, and the optimal working parameter combination was obtained. The operating speed was 6.35 km·h⁻¹, the inclination angle of the soil-covering disc was 60°, the opening angle of the soil-covering disc was 70°, and the inclination angle of the soil dividing plate was 40°. A comparative test of the soil-covering effect and performance was carried out, and the results showed that the designed device was better than the traditional soil-covering device in terms of the consistency of soil-covering thickness and the stability of seed position deviation. The relative errors of the soil bin experiment results and the simulation optimization results for the cover soil thickness and seed position deviation were 5.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The operation effect of the designed soil-covering device with soil-closing function meets the requirements of soil covering under no-tillage conditions and provides a basis for the research and development of soil-covering suppression technology and devices under no-tillage seeding mode. Full article

This paper designed a symmetrical spiral row-sorting of the straw device (SSRSD) under the condition that the no-till anti-blocking knife cut and chopped the straw to guarantee the machine’s passing capacity. The row-sorting blade (RB) of the symmetrical spiral mechanism (SSM) pushed the straw that fell into the straw hopper to the non-sowing area on both sides of the sowing belt and played the role of row-sorting the straw. Based on a theoretical analysis of the relationship between the material-bearing capacity limit of the SSM and the straw mulching quantity (SMQ) in the actual operating area, the critical parameters of the SSM and its value ranges were determined. The results show that the average straw removing rate (SRR) of the no-till planter with the SSRSD was 87.98%, and the passing capacity of the machine was great. Compared with the no-till planter without the SSRSD, the average SRR was increased by 20.7%. Full article

Aiming at the problems of the poor passing capacity of machines and low cleaning rate of seed strip during wheat no-tillage sowing in annual double cropping areas of North China, a spiral discharge anti-blocking and row-sorting device (SDARD) was designed and is reported in this paper. After the straw was cut and chopped by the high-velocity rotating no-till anti-blocking knife group (NAKG), the straw was thrown into the spiral discharging mechanism (SDM) behind the NAKG. The chopped straw was discharged to the non-sowing area to reach the effect of seed strip cleaning through the interaction between the SDM and the row-sorting of straw mechanism (RSM). Based on a theoretical analysis for determining the parameters of crucial components, the quadratic rotation orthogonal combination test method was adopted, and the operating velocity of machines (OVM), the rotary velocity of the spiral shaft (RVSS), and the height of the holding hopper from the ground (HHHG) were selected as the test factors. The straw cleaning rate (SCR) was taken as the test index. The discrete element simulation test was carried out, the regression model of the SCR was established, and parameters optimization and field test were carried out. The results show that the significant order of the three influencing factors on the SCR was HHHG > OVM > RVSS. The optimal combination of operating parameters was that OVM was 5 km/h, RVSS was 80 r/min, and HHHG was 10 mm. Under the optimal parameter combination, the average SCR was 84.49%, which was 15.5% higher than the no-till planter without the device, and the passing capacity of machines was great, which met the agronomic requirements of no-tillage sowing of wheat in annual double cropping areas. This study could provide a reference for the design of no-tillage machines. Full article

In a no-till system, there are many different methods available for terminating cover crops. Mechanical termination, utilizing rolling and crimping technology, is one method that injures the plant without cutting the stems. Another popular and commercially available method is mowing, but this can cause problems with cover crop re-growth and loose residue interfering with the planter during cash crop planting. A field experiment was conducted over three growing seasons in northern Alabama to determine the effects of different cover crops and termination methods on cantaloupe yield in a no-till system. Crimson clover, cereal rye, and hairy vetch cover crops were terminated using two different roller-crimpers, including a two-stage roller-crimper for four-wheel tractors and a powered roller-crimper for a two-wheel walk-behind tractor. Cover crop termination rates were evaluated one, two, and three weeks after termination. Three weeks after rolling, a higher termination rate was found for flail mowing (92%) compared to lower termination rates for a two-stage roller (86%) and powered roller-crimper (85%), while the control termination rate was only 49%. There were no significant differences in cantaloupe yield among the rolling treatments, which averaged 38,666 kg ha⁻¹. However, yields were higher for cereal rye and hairy vetch cover crops (41,785 kg ha⁻¹ and 42,000 kg ha⁻¹) compared to crimson clover (32,213 kg ha⁻¹). Full article

A laboratory investigation of abrasive waterjet cutting of wheat straws was conducted. The work was aimed at a systematic characterization of the abrasive waterjet cutting capability of wheat straws, as a potential alternative to cutting discs currently adopted in no-till drills and planters for crop residue management. A two level $2_{\mathrm{IV}}^{7-3}$ fractional factorial design was applied to investigate the influence of abrasive waterjet process parameters on the cutting efficiency of wheat straws. Straw coverage thickness, water pressure, and orifice diameter were found to be the most significant ones. Experimental results suggest that straw cutting mechanism is mostly related to the hydraulic power of the jet. A multiple logistic regression was performed to model the relationship between the cutting efficiency and the jet power. The logistic model was then applied to estimate the average water and power consumption for wheat straw cutting during a no-tillage seeding operation. An average jet hydraulic power of 6400 W would be sufficiently high to guarantee 90% cutting efficiency in presence of heavy residue distribution. The experimental study shows that a small quantity of abrasive powder (50 g·min⁻¹) allows one to increase the jet cutting capability of wheat straws, and to reduce the required maximum hydraulic power, compared to pure waterjet cutting. Results show are potentially relevant for field validation in agriculture based on no-tillage. Full article

Smallholder farmers are the main producers of the world’s food and they will have to increase production by up to 100 percent by 2050 to feed the growing population. This must be achieved while preserving natural resources and that is why sustainable agricultural mechanization (SAM) will be fundamental to the process. SAM is climate-smart and environmentally benign and essentially means no-till conservation agriculture, which requires specific mechanization inputs. Principally, these are seeders and planters capable of penetrating soil surface vegetative cover to deposit seed and fertilizer at the required depth and spacing; and equipment for management of cover crops and weeds. Mechanization is required not only for crop production, but also for processing and along the entire value chain. Mechanization inputs are usually expensive and so specialist service provision will be the indicated way forward. This will need collaboration from both the private and public sectors and will involve public-private partnerships to be developed in one form or another. Given the poor track record of public sector mechanization provision, the delivery of SAM should be firmly in the hands of the private sector that should be committed to SAM principles or otherwise be incentivized to the concept through smart subsidies. Improved information flows via smallholder farmer-friendly innovation platforms; and continuing development and testing of SAM technologies via regional centres of excellence will both be required—especially for sub-Saharan Africa. Full article

Smallholders in Asia and Africa require low-cost seed drills for minimal soil disturbance while establishing various crops. A seed drill that can be drawn by the widely-available two-wheel tractor (2WT) is an attractive option for mechanization of no-till in small-sized fields. The Versatile Strip Seed Drill (VSSD) was designed with the capacity to make up to 40 mm wide and 60 mm deep strips in untilled land along with seed and basal fertilizer application in a single-pass operation, while powered by the 8.95 to 11.93 kW 2WT. An important innovation of the VSSD was to fit the seed box with both fluted roller-type seed meters for delivery of sufficient small-size seeds to achieve adequate plant density per unit row length; and vertical disk-type seed meters for precision and spaced row planting of larger seeds. Both incessant seed dropping by fluted roller seed meters and spaced planting by vertical disk type seed meters provided optimum plant populations that were generally higher than in conventional, full-tillage plots with the same rate of hand broadcasted seed and fertilizers. Time required for crop establishment by VSSD ranged from 0.13 to 0.18 ha·h⁻¹. When the VSSD was attached to the 2WT for crop establishment, the diesel fuel consumption varied from 4.4 to 6.1 L·ha⁻¹, which was lower than for most 2WT-based planters previously used in Bangladesh. In on-farm multi-locations trials, wheat crops established with the VSSD had statistically similar grain yield compared to conventional tillage; however, significantly higher grain yield was obtained from mustard and lentil, by 14% and 19%, respectively. The VSSD is a unique, minimum-soil-disturbance multi-crop planter, and can be a platform on which to build conservation agriculture systems for small farms in Asia and Africa. Full article