Drawbar Power Requirements and Soil Disruption of In-Row Subsoiler Points for Conservation Tillage

摘要

Soil compaction can reduce crop yields by restricting root development. In-row subsoiling is a common tillage practice for disrupting the compacted soil profile, allowing roots to proliferate downward to obtain adequate soil moisture. The subsoiler system is composed of many important components, but the point assembly is the first element to contact the soil and can largely determine the draft requirement and soil disruption of the subsoiler. Two points were evaluated in a soil bin experiment at the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, AL. A standard ripper point was compared with a splitter point which is designed to fracture the soil and reduce above-ground soil disruption, especially in dry conditions. The subsoiler system was mounted on a three-dimensional dynamometer where measurements of draft force, vertical force, side force, speed, and depth of operation were determined and tillage power requirements were calculated. Measurements of soil disruption including spoil crosssectional area, trench cross-sectional area and trench specific resistance were determined. Results showed that the splitter point required significantly greater drawbar power (28%) compared to standard ripper point the while disturbing similar amounts of below-ground soil. However, the splitter point did reduce the above-ground soil disruption by more than 10%. The splitter point was helpful in reducing above-ground disruption but the added energy cost could be prohibitive for many producers.