Development and Evaluation of Laser-Controlled Chesil Plough

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to improve the tillage operational efficiency of using chesil plough by transforming it into a more reliable system based on laser levelling technology. And thus, achieve quality of field sub-surface levelling in term of continues proper tilled layer and more stability of the soil tilled layer height along the whole field. The developed chesil plough chassis-attached laser control unit constructed by attaching levelling adjustment wheel system to chesil plough’ main frame and both coupled with the hydraulic system to facilitates the using of laser unit and to manage the receiver tower's up and down motion. Measured data of tilled layers elevations was collected after using laser-controlled chesil plough l and normal plough. The readings of point levels for subsurface layer were taken at a regular interval of 5 m x 5 m to achieve greater precision in soil elevations topography changes. Irrigation water advance times and total applied irrigation water amounts were receded as indicator for the performance of developed prototype and for tracking the effect of such prototype on irrigation water behaviour. Results demonstrated that the laser-controlled chesil plough significantly improved the field flatness and proper tilled layer enabling any field machine to work a stable depth of tilled layers. After using laser-controlled chesil plough, elevation values ranged from 34 cm to 43 cm with an average recorded elevation value of 39.8 cm with standard deviation (of elevation) 0.99 cm. Using normal plough gave elevation values ranged from 22 cm to 52 cm with an average recorded elevation value of 39.4 cm with standard deviation (of elevation) 5.7 cm. Irrigation water advance times were shorter with plots that were ploughed by using laser-controlled chesil. The water advance times recorded were 0, 132, 165 s at beginning, middle and end of irrigation line respectively for location 1 and similar results for locations 2 and 3. While, it was much longer in plots where the normal chesil plough were used with were 0, 224, 287 s as average water advance times values for location 1 and similar results for location 2 and 3.