Reducing the range of soil discarding by disc harrows in berry fields

BACKGROUND: The subject of research is the process of transverse discarding of soil by the outer disk mounted on the front section of a disk harrow in the conditions of inter-row spacing of a berry plantation.

AIMS: Reduction of the range of discarding of a soil layer by the outer disk mounted on the front section of a disk harrow in the conditions of inter-row spacing of a berry plantation.

METHODS: All studies were carried out on a raspberry plantation. Soil moisture was 28%. The disc harrow was aggregated with the T-25A tractor moved at a constant speed of 7.29 km/h, had an attack angle of 21° and a processing depth of 0.1 m. While carrying out field experiments, the location of all soil fragments outside the furrow formed by the outer disk of the rear section was considered. Both the distance to the fragment edge furthest from the furrow wall and the fragment’s slope relative to ч were recorded.

RESULTS: According to the results of field experiments, it was found that the value of the transverse discharge of waterlogged and over-compacted soil in inter-row spacing of berry bushes significantly exceeds the amount of overlap between the front and rear sections of the disc harrow. To exclude the soil discarding into the bush area, the disc harrow was equipped with an additional bump shield oriented at an angle of 53–54° in horizontal plane and at an angle of 50-58° to the direction of movement of the harrow.

CONCLUSIONS: The practical implementation of this technical solution makes it possible to maintain the surface of inter-row spacing at a leveled state throughout their entire service life. At the same time, the disk harrow operates steadily, both with a high degree of impurity of inter-row spacing and excessive soil moisture, as well as provides with grinding and sealing of the annually cut-out raspberry stems.