Development of Profile Meter for Measuring Displacement and Disturbance of Soil by Ridger

Author: Avinash Kumar, Atul Kumar Shrivastava, Yalaka Nandini and Rohit Namdeo

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Abstract

A specialized Soil Profile Meter was developed to assess the degree of soil disruption caused by various types of ridgers. Constructed from mild steel, steel, and aluminum composite panel materials, the meter measures 80×100cm in width and height. To calculate the area of soil disruption, three ridgers were simultaneously attached to the tool test setup, integrated into a tool trolley within a soil bin. The tool test setup, connected to the Extended Octagonal Ring Transducer (EORT) with a force limit of 5 KN, measured forces in the horizontal (Fx), vertical (Fy), and moment (My) directions as it was pulled through the tool trolley. Power for the soil processing and tool carriage trolley was provided by a 15-hp electric motor, with different operation speeds achieved by adjusting the motor's rpm through the Human Machine Interface (HMI). In the soil bin, the tool disrupted the soil at depths of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 cm. The ridgers used for soil loosening were of tyne, hoe, and shovel types. Some challenges were faced during the measurement of exact ridge height and soil volume after passing the ridgers. So, it was the needful task to design the soil profile meter for measuring the soil profiles. After calibration, the profile meter was positioned across the tilled soil to measure parameters such as width of soil throw, width of cut, ridge-to-ridge distance, height of ridge furrow, and tool width for each ridger operation. The collected data were thoroughly analyzed to establish relationships between the depth of ridger operation and the extent of soil disturbance. Among the ridger types, the hoe type demonstrated the highest soil loosening capacity at all operating depths, followed by the shovel type and the tyne type. Notably, at a fixed width of 40 cm and a speed of 2.5 kmph, the ridger with wings exhibited the greatest soil loosening ability across all depths. The hoe type ridger achieved an estimated transverse soil disturbance area of 82 cm, while the shovel and tyne types recorded 75.5 cm and 69.9 cm, respectively. Conversely, at a working depth of 16 cm, the hoe type ridger again outperformed the others, achieving 84 cm of soil disturbance, with the shovel and tyne types recording 78 cm and 72 cm, respectively.

Keywords

Profilemeter, Width, Depth, Vertisol, Width of Soil Throw, Ridger

Conclusion

The research work yields the following conclusions: — A profile meter was successfully designed, fabricated, and tested during the operation of ridgers in the indoor soil bin facility. — The profile meter demonstrated superior ease and accuracy in soil disturbance measurement compared to the traditional use of a meter rule. — At a speed of 2.5 kmph and with a fixed width of 40 cm for ridger wings, the hoe type ridger exhibited the highest soil loosening ability at all depths, with an estimated transverse soil disturbance area of 82 cm. In comparison, the shovel and tyne type ridgers recorded 75.5 and 69.9, respectively. At the highest working depth of 16 cm, the hoe type ridger maintained its lead with 84 cm, followed by the shovel and tyne type ridgers with 78 and 72, respectively. — The profile meter consistently provided more convenient and accurate results in soil disturbance measurement than the conventional use of a meter rule.

References

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How to cite this article

Avinash Kumar, Atul Kumar Shrivastava, Yalaka Nandini and Rohit Namdeo (2023). Development of Profile Meter for Measuring Displacement and Disturbance of Soil by Ridger. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(10): 706-710.