Abstract:
There is urgent need to develop more sensitive instrumentation for capturing draught force
data in soil bin experimentation. Hither to, a spring force dynamometer has been used in our
previous studies and we had felt we needed more sensitive and accurate instrumentation. In
this study an instrumentation consisting of data logger, voltage amplifier, and a load cell were
designed, assembled, calibrated and interfaced with laptop for capturing draught force data of
tillage tools in indoor soil bin experimentation. Draught requirements of tillage tools were
investigated under various tillage parameters; Soil parameter (moisture content), tools
parameter (tool type and rake angle), operational parameters (speed and depth). The type of
soil used for the experimentation was loamy sand. Two rake angles (45o and 90o) and two soil
conditions (dry and wet) were used for evaluating the draught of the tillage tools
(sweeps).The results showed that draught force increased with increase in tools rake angle
and increase in soil moisture content. Tools with flat profile surface had greater draught than
those with ridged profile surface. Maximum draught of tools were 70N (T1) under wet
condition and 45o tools rake angle, 95N (SF10) under wet condition and 90o tools rake angle,
95N (SF20) under wet condition and 45o tools rake angle, and 90N (SR20) under wet
condition and 45o tools rake angle, Soil disturbance parameters also were higher under wet
soil condition for both rake angles. Soil disturbance parameters except the ridge to ridge
distance and maximum width of soil throw showed higher values for tools rake angle of 90o.
The trend was the same under moisture conditions. The results therefore showed that the
analog way of soil measurement can be made digitalized .the result also shows that, Draught
increased with increase in tools rake angle and soil moisture content. Tools with high profile
had lower draft requirement than plane surface tools.
