Draft-speed-depth relationships for four liquid manure injectors in a fine sandy loam soil

摘要

Field experiments were conducted in a fine sandy loam soil in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and repeated over two years to determine draft-speed-depth relationships for prototype liquid manure injectors developed for use in potato production. The injectors were mounted on an instrumented tool bar, and draft data were recorded using Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's instrumented tractor Measured draft ranged from 1.3 kN per injector for a narrow point (60 mm width) injector operating at 40 km/h and80 mm nominal depth to 6.7 kN per injector for a wide split (470 mm width) injector operating at 8 0 km/h and 160 mm nominal depth. The data showed a small but significant speed effect. Draft prediction equations were developed by multiple regression. Measured draft was much higher than that calculated using ASAE data for chisel plows and field cultivators, but were reasonably close calculations based on ASAE data for subsoilers and manure injectors. The draft data indicate that subsurface injection ofliquid manure is practical from an energy perspective. A tractor large enough to have adequate traction and braking capacity to safely haul a large liquid manure spreader should have adequate power to pull the spreader fitted with injectors in the field.