Design steps of narrow tillage tools for draught reduction and increased soil disruption – a review

Abstract

Design steps of narrow tillage tools for draught reduction and increased soil disruption was reviewed. Narrow tillage tools are the main components of conservation tillage and soil compaction alleviation equipment. Literature regarding dynamic behaviour and step-by-step design of narrow tillage tools is scarce. A better understanding of soil dynamic behaviour and designing steps will help in the design of new tool shapes which will reduce tool draught, energy demand and increased soil disruption over a wide speed range. At the same time, narrow tools disturb less soil, ideally only the minimum necessary to establish a crop. Narrow tillage tools such as subsoilers have gain much ground in their application for alleviating soil compaction; and are attracting awareness in their utilization for conservative tillage practices. There is a great amount of variability in depth and thickness of hardpan layers from field to field and also within the field. Applying uniform-depth tillage over the entire field may be either too shallow or too deep and can be costly. There is very little to gain from tilling deeper than the compacted layer and in some cases it may be detrimental to till into the deep clay layer. Hence the need for more studies on development of narrow tillage tools for site specific and in-row tillage practices for the enhancement of agriculture. A steps-wise study of the design process of narrow tillage tools will help the designers and producers to improve on the quality of their work for efficient application in agriculture. The purpose of this article is to bring to light the design steps and the various expressions involve in the effective design and construction of narrow tillage tools.