Strip-tillage using rotating straight blades : effect of cutting edge geometry on furrow parameters
Date
2016
Authors
Matin, M.A.
Desbiolles, J.M.A.
Fielke, J.M.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Soil and Tillage Research, 2016; 155:271-279
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
Efforts to develop strip-tillage drills for two-wheeled tractors have often used conventional bent rotary blades designed for full disturbance soil tillage which have resulted in poor furrow backfill and smeared furrows. This soil bin study examined the use of rotating straight blades with a range of cutting edge geometries for cutting a 50. mm wide strip-till furrow. Results showed that a set of rotating straight blades can only create a furrow if the blade set exerts sufficient strain onto the soil volume between the blades. The furrow formation was aided when using either inside chamfered or square edged blades. For the same thickness of blades, double-side chamfered blades, due to applying a reduced strain, resulted in an uneven furrow of shallower depth at its centre along with a coarser soil tilth, and additionally produced smeared furrow walls. For the inside chamfered and the square edged cutting edge geometries the furrow backfill was the highest with only 20-26% of loosened soil ending outside the furrow. The outside chamfered blades applied a soil strain outward from the blade set which was not able to produce a furrow and only created two smeared slots in the soil. The study recommends inside chamfered blades be used for strip-tillage, with their optimum thickness related to the targeted furrow width, in order to apply the minimum strain required for achieving a targeted loosening result.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
Copyright 2016 Elsevier