Efficiency of the forest three-row seeder in acorn reseeding

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of operating a forest triple seeder implement aggregated onto tractors of various nominal powers. The difference in nominal power among the tractors was 8.5 kW. The seeder implement utilized in the study is a technical solution from FE "Sremska Mitrovica". The research was conducted on areas prepared for the underseeding of pedunculate oak seeds. The paper analyzes the effects of seeder operation based on tractor power. The study employed work analysis, specifically the method of photochronometry and flow measurement of time. The research results indicate that under identical operating conditions, a tractor with higher Topola/Poplar 2024, 213, 43-54 www.ilfe.org 44 power achieves higher average speeds in all operating conditions, with differences of approximately 15%. The operational effects vary depending on the length of the plot, as an increase in length reduces the proportion of turnaround time in the total operation time. One of the factors influencing operational effects is the distance of the seed loading point from the seeder's basket. To minimize the impact of this time, it is necessary to select the optimal position for the seed loading point before starting operation. The definition of operating conditions is determined based on the condition of the cutting preparation and soil moisture. During operation, there were interruptions due to design flaws in the seeder, with operational effects ranging from 1.81 ha/day to 4.05 ha/day depending on tractor power, the condition of the sowing area, and plot length. The average fuel consumption of higher-powered tractors per effective hour of operation under identical conditions is 23.3% higher.