Integrated Study Of Soil Compaction In The Agricultural Field: Numerical Modelling, Experimental Analysis, And The Influence Of Soil Physico-Chemical Properties

Abstract

In Many Parts Of The World, Farm Land Has Been Heavily Compacted As A Result Of Large Farm Equipment. The Use Of Farm Equipment And Other Energy In Agricultural Processes Results In A Reduction In The Air Spaces Between Soil Particles. Soil Compaction Have Been Conventionally Measured By Using A Manually Operated Cone Penetrometer Which Has Certain Ergonomic Restrictions Tackled By The Operator, It Takes More Time And It Is Difficult To Obtain Data Required For Agriculture Operation. The Objective Of The Research Is Numerical Modelling Of A Hydraulic System, Integrate The System With A Tractor To Contro lThe Cone Penetrometer, Making A Field Test To Measure Soil Compaction And Evaluating The Performances With Drawbar Performance With The Help Of Visual Basics Software. The Materials Used In This Research Work Were A Tractor, Tillage Implement, Cone Penetrometer, And Hydraulic System, Soil Physical Test Apparatus And Soil Chemical Property Test Instruments. The Average Soil Compaction Of The Field Soil For Kulumsa Farm Field Ranges From 3,511.8 Kpa To 3,730.3 Kpa And 1,195.5 Kpa To 1,227.4 Kpa For Harvesting And Seeding Season Respectively. For The Melkasa Farm Field, The Average Soil Compaction Value Ranges From 3,180.3 Kpa To 3,947.3 Kpa And 978.3 Kpa To 1,383.5 Kpa For Harvesting And Seeding Season Respectively. Bishoftu Farm Fields Have An Average Soil Compaction Value Ranging From 1,011.2 Kpa To 1,838.3 Kpa And 548.2 Kpa To 630.1 Kpa For Harvesting And Seeding Season Respectively. From All Experimental Farm Sites, Cone Index Value Had A General Tendency To Increase With Soil Depth Except For The Bishoftu Farm Field For The Seeding Season. When Depth Increases, Percent Of Soil Moisture Content Also Increases For Both Experimental Seasons For All Experimental Fields. In Addition, It Was Observed That Total Organic Carbon, Organic Matter, And Total Nitrogen Levels Tend To Rise With Increased Soil Compaction, And Conversely, Decrease As Soil Compaction Decreases. The Numerical Study Of Tractor Implements Performance Result Showed The Maximum Performance Parameters Were Found At 300 Mm Depth With A Drawbar Power Of 35.7 Kw, Pull Of 7.9 Kn, Fuel Consumption Of 3.64 Kg/H, Slip12.5%,Power Delivery Efficiency Of 60%, And Dynamic Weight Of 31.19 Kn. This Study?�?S Insights Are Invaluable For Agricultural Mechanization. Given The Substantial Weight Of Farm Machinery, Comprehending Soil Properties And Their Correlation With Compaction Rates Is Critical In Farming Practices.