Study of the work of a self-propelled mulcher in the preparation of forest soils for planting poplar in the conditions of Bulgaria

Abstract

Abstract The article describes the use of mulcher technology in forestry for the care of forest crops, removal of overgrowth under power lines, in the right-of-way of gas and oil pipelines, railways and highways. With the help of mulchers, they create fire strips in the forest, make clearings. Mulchers clean fallen trees after fires, floods and hurricanes. They are involved in landscaping and agricultural work. The article examines the work of the PT-400 self-propelled tillage mulcher for the surface crushing of logging waste on the utilized poplar plantations of the Oryakhovsky state forestry in Bulgaria. The work of the Rotor Ferri S stump grinder was studied when crushing poplar stumps with a diameter of up to 50 cm. The hourly productivity of these machines at various operations was determined, and also the process of crushing stumps and felling residues by fractional composition was studied. The work of the mulcher was compared with the bulldozer technology and the mounted tractor stump grinder Rotor Ferri S. It was concluded that the mounted stump grinder Rotor Ferri S is the most suitable machine for grinding poplar stumps of any diameter, since its productivity significantly exceeds that of the PT-400 mulcher/tiller. The load on the tractor is minimal, which saves energy. At the same time, mulching technology is very effective and in demand.