Methods and means of digital measurement of soil parameters and conditions of functioning of tillage machines for deep loosening of soil

Abstract

Abstract Due to of the widespread application of intensive technologies using energy-saturated machine-tractor units, the formation of over-compacted layers occurs in arable horizon, the presence of which significantly worsens the conditions for the growth and development of cultivated crops, and also violates the ecological balance of agrolandscapes. To eliminate soil compaction, a subsoiler tillage is used, for the successful implementation of which it is required to ensure the setting of rippers below the depth of the dense layers. At the same time, deep loosening requires significant energy expenditures, and therefore the task of finding a rational adjustment value of the depth of deep loosening, at which fuel costs are minimized while ensuring the required quality of soil cultivation, arises. To accomplish the tasks with using of digital measuring systems, the soil state was monitored to a depth of 60 cm. Using of the original methodology for determining the depth of an over-compacted layer, it was possible to obtain a random process of its position and calculate estimates of statistical characteristics. The setting of rippers based on calculations of the statistical characteristics of the random process of the depth of the overcompacted layer according to the results of monitoring the soil condition allows us to ensure the required quality of soil cultivation and minimize energy costs for its implementation.