Research of mechanical traction characteristics of direct sowing equipment

Abstract

The objective of this study is to define the influence of working speed on the traction force of a direct sowing machine with complex coulters and various press wheels (a narrow disc and a finger disc) under various soil compactions. The machine was pulled at three different speeds – 5 km·h-1, 7 km·h-1, and 9 km·h-1 – in soils of three different compactions. In the first trial soil compaction was 44 kPa at 50 mm depth, in the second trial – 493 kPa, in the third trial – 827 kPa. The traction force was measured using six sensors – three for horizontal force, two for vertical force, and one for side force. The research indicated that pulling direct sowing machine without a press wheel at working speed of 5 km·h-1 requires almost the same total traction force as pulling direct sowing machine with a narrow disc press wheel, while sowing machine with tined disc requires higher traction force at approximately 0.06 kN. Increasing the working speed of direct sowing machine with disc press wheel up to 7 km·h-1, horizontal traction force increases, while vertical traction force decreases. Increasing the working speed up to 9 km·h-1, the traction forces do not expose significant increase compared to the working speed of 7 km·h-1.