Traction Force Investigation of The New Working Body of The Sod Seeder

Abstract

Due to the depletion of pastures, fodder provisioning is becoming an acute problem, therefore improving pastures by sowing seeds undercover crops and in turf is essential. The main purpose of the work is to reduce the traction force of the sod seeder by developing an effective working body. As a result, a new technology for improving forage and pasture lands and the design of a working body of sod seeder for site-specific seeding of crops undercover crops are proposed. The new technology provides simultaneous sowing of grass seed and fertilizer at two levels of soil horizon without excluding the forage area from the exploitation: grass seed to a depth of 40 mm and fertilizer to a depth of 120 mm. The seed sowing and fertilizer application depths are adjustable, and the sowing width reaches 40 mm. The traction force was determined by the dynamometric method during laboratory and field experiments. Theoretical studies have determined the dependence of the traction force on the average parameters of the cultivated soil layer and its physical and mechanical properties, as well as the parameters of the working body. According to the results of experimental and field studies, the traction force range of the sod seeder was within 8.28–8.63 kN.

Keywords

• cover crops
• hoe opener
• meadow and pasture restoration
• mineral fertilizers
• site-specific seeding
• traction force