Optimization of parameters and operating modes of the unit for preparing soil for planting rice in Burundi

Abstract

In Burundi, according to ISTEEBU projections, the area of arable land per household could be around 0.3-0.5 ha over 20-25 years. In modern conditions, the use of large tractors is possible only on the Imbo plain and in the Kumoso basins in the east of the country. At the same time, the practice of polyculture does not contribute to the mechanization of agriculture. Under these conditions, the use of walk-behind tractors will facilitate the work, since instead of machines with passive plow and disk working bodies, it is more rational to use machines with active, rotary working bodies, such as tillage cutters, which are characterized by high quality loosening of the arable layer and soil mixing with fertilizers. However, when working with a walk-behind tractor, the operator is subject to high physical stress and vibration, which affects his health. There is also no fertilization operation.