The efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer on the dry matter yield of tall fescue and festulolium grown as feedstock for combustion

ArticleGrass biomass grows during one vegetation season and can be cultivated and consumed at the place of breeding. Grass biomass can be used not only in traditional feed, but, recently, also for energy production (biogas, solid fuels). The most important economic indicator for any crop is its productivity. The study found that it is important to use nitrogen fertilizer to increase the productivity of tall fescue and festulolium. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in the yield of tall fescue was observed starting from the nitrogen norm of 60 kg ha-1 N. Further increase in nitrogen fertilizer norm provides a significant increase in dry mater yield of tall fescue (reaching 8.64 t ha-1 ) and festulolium (reaching 8.11 t ha-1 ) at 180 kg ha-1 N. The analysis of linear regression coefficients of polynomials showed that the highest nitrogen efficiency in the first year of the use of tall fescue was achieved at the norm of 180 kg ha-1 N, but for festulolium – at the norm of 120 kg ha-1 N. In the following years of tall fescue use, the highest efficiency of nitrogen norms differed: in the 2nd and 4th year of use – at 60 kg ha-1 N, in the 3rd year of use – at 30 kg ha-1 N, and in the 5th year of use – at 120 kg ha-1 N. In contrast, for festulolium, in the 2nd year of use, the highest nitrogen efficiency was reached at the norm of 30 kg ha-1 N, and in the 3rd–5th year of use – at the norm of 60 kg ha-1 N

Results of experimental investigations of a flexible active harrow with loosening teeth

ArticleSoil tillage processes significantly affect the growth of cultivated plants; therefore, improvement of various designs and combinations of ploughs is still an actual practical and scientific task. This paper presents investigations of the design of a soil tillage machine consisting of three plough bodies equipped from the lateral side with a module with a flexible active harrow driven by a support wheel. The technological process of tillage by this machine is carried out in such a way that the module of the flexible active harrow is installed at a certain depth of soil tillage. The purpose of this work is an experimental comparative investigation of the quality indicators of the work of a design of the soil tillage working body with a flexible active harrow having loosening teeth. In the process of comparative experimental investigations of the operation of ploughs with a standard flexible harrow and an experimental active harrow having loosening teeth, the soil lumpiness (characterising the quality of crumbling) and water permeability of the obtained soil structure were estimated. An experimental model of this working tool was tested under the production conditions, and it showed advantages of loosening and crumpling the soil compared to the conventional harrows. This can be explained by the fact that the harrow tines, freely mounted on the axes of its links, ensure their oscillatory movements when moving in two different planes, thereby creating conditions for more intense soil disintegration

Evaluation of reed biomass use for manufacturing products, taking into account environmental protection requirements

ArticleIn many countries reed is considered as invasive or unnecessary plant, because it is spreading rapidly, causing decrease in biodiversity and creating unacceptable living conditio ns for many bird species in their natural habitats. Due to environmental considerations it is necessary to cut reed, to decrease their over exceeding growth. Reed burning or leaving for decomposition on fields, that has been practiced until now, creates ad ditional carbon dioxide air pollution. Therefore, the question on what to do with cut reed has become vital from environmental protection perspective. In addition, this question applies to bioeconomy principles in compliance with their use in national econ omy, which makes it clear, that solutions for the use of reed biomass for production have to be found. But any production process can leave a negative effect on surrounding environment. Further to product production, economic motivation, possible market an d availability of resources are primarily essential to see whether it is worth to produce the product at all. Therefore, reed biomass use possibilities in production have to be analysed as a complex question, taking into account environmental and climate, economic and technological aspects. In this study, solutions to perspective reed biomass use are evaluated, considering environmental protection requirements. For this task, multi - criteria analysis method TOPSIS is used, which includes 11 environmental and climate, economic and technological criteria. Evaluation includes both – already existing and new products that are divided in 3 sectors: power industry, construction and other products. Results of the research clearly state, which of reed biomass made pr oducts are perspective, taking into account not only traditional economic and technological aspects, but also envi ronmental and climate aspects

Theory of grain mixture particle motion during aspiration separation

The practice of separating grain mixtures with the use of the difference in the aerodynamic properties of their components has proved that the process of separating mixtures in the aspiration separator is the most promising one with regard to the improvement of quality and intensification of production. The authors have developed a new improved design of aspiration seed separators, in which the work process of separating seed material is performed with the use of vibration processes. In this seed material separator, the constant force air flow that acts on the sail members on the central pipe of the separator, when seeds are fed for processing, generates self-excited oscillations in the pipe, which produces centrifugal forces of inertia in the seed feeding system. As a result of the mentioned effect, the propelling force in the process under study substantially increases, accelerating the seeds of different fractions, which differ in their masses, to different velocities. The motion paths of the seed particles change accordingly, heavier particles moving closer to the vertical axis of the aspiration channel, which provides for increasing the efficiency of separation of the seeds of different fractions from each other. In this paper, a new mathematical model is developed for the motion of a seed mixture material particle in the operating space of the separator’s aspiration channel. The mathematical modelling of the process of vibration and aspiration separation has indicated that the separation of the motion paths of the medium and heavy fractions takes place within the range of 20–40 mm; the flying speed of the particles is equal to 3.2–8.0 m s–1, respectively; and their acceleration is equal to 1.8– 3.3 m s–2, which provides the necessary conditions for the accurate and high quality separation into the required fractions. In view of the found differences between the kinematic characteristics of the separated fractions of the grain mixture, the diameter of the pipeline for the medium fraction is to be within the range of 90–100 mm, for the heavy fraction – 50–70 mm

Research into geometric parameters of digging shares used for lifting sugar beet roots from soil with assistance of vibration

Received: February 2nd, 2021 ; Accepted: March 27th, 2021 ; Published: April 7th 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] of the important conditions in securing the high quality, when performing the work process of vibrational root lifting, is to avoid damaging the roots. It is obvious that the greatest probability of damaging and even breaking the lifted root arises, when the tool interacts with the root body during their first contact and in the time of the root passing in the throat between the operating shares. The aim of the study is to substantiate the rational design length for the working throat of the vibrational root lifter in its interaction with the sugar beet root while lifting the latter from the soil. As a result of the completed research, the minimum permissible tool oscillation frequencies have been determined for the specific values of the lifter’s translational velocity and the working throat rear part length, at which the event of the vibrational lifting tool gripping the root will occur at least one time. For example, when the length of the lifter’s working throat rear part is equal to 0.1 m and the oscillation frequency is equal to ν = 20.3 Hz, the satisfactory quality of the vibrational root lifting process is ensured, when the velocity of the translational motion performed by the vibrational lifter stays within the range of 1.3–2.55 m s –1 . In order to ensure the good quality of the vibrational root lifting process at the lifter’s translational velocity equal to V = 2.0 m s –1 and the frequency of its tool’s oscillations equal to ν = 10 Hz, it is necessary that the length of the lifter’s working throat rear part is equal to 0.2 m, at a tool oscillation frequency of 6.7 Hz - 0.3 m. As a result of the completed numerical calculations, the permissible values have been determined for the tool oscillation frequency, which can be recommended for the translational velocities within the range of 1.3–2.2 m s –1 , taking into account the limitation set for the tool oscillation frequency by the pre-condition of the guaranteed gripping of each root by the digging shares

Theoretical simulation of parameters of cleaning sugar beet heads from remnants of leaves by flexible blade

In our previous works we obtained analytical dependencies characterising the impact interaction that arises when the heads of the root crops are cleaned from the remnants of tops (leaves) by means of a flexible cleaning blade. In order to find a more perfect and complete result, which could be used by the designers of sugar beet harvesting machines, the research in this technological process needs to be continued in the direction of numerical simulation of the dependencies on the PC. In accordance with the compiled programme of numerical calculations in the Mathcad system, numerical calculations were executed of the kinematic and design parameters of a flexible cleaning blade depending on the design parameters of the cleaning blade, the physical and mechanical properties of the sugar beet tops (leaves) and conditions of cleaning without extracting the roots themselves from the soil. On the basis of the results of calculations graphical dependencies were built of the angular velocity ω of the rotational movement of the flexible cleaning blade upon the indicated parameters of the cleaner, allowing estimation of their optimal value

Field experimetal reseach of the combined fertilizing-seeding machine-tractor aggregate

The scientific problem of this study is the justification of the expediency of combining the technological operations of sowing cereals and applying the main and starting doses of mineral fertilizers when using a combined machine and tractor unit (aggregate). During the research there were used methods of conducting field experiments using standard equipment. During the planned experiments there were used correlation methods and methods of numerical calculations on a PC. The comparative studies of the quality of barley sowing with basic and modernized fertilizer-sowing units showed the following values of qualitative indicators. So, the coefficient of seed depth variation of the base unit was – 8.2%, and the combined (modernized) unit – 4.7%; The uniformity of seed distribution along the length of the line for the basic unit is – 63.8%, for the modernized unit – 84.9%; Field germination of seeds when sowing the basic unit is 80.4%, modernized – 87.4%. Thus, when using the combined fertilizer-seeding unit, the uniformity of seed distribution along the length of the string will be substantially increased. At the same time, the field germination of seeds will increase, and the coefficient of variation in the depth of seed placement in the furrow will decrease. Based on the results of field experimental studies, an increase in the yield of spring wheat and barley was found in the application of a combined fertilizer-seed aggregate with the simultaneous introduction of a basic fertilizer-seeded fertilizer into the soil and sowing of cereals with the application of a starting dose of mineral fertilizer in comparison with the known schemes of such operations. The obtained results confirm the expediency of combining these technological operations with one pass of the combined machine-tractor unit (aggregate)

Theoretical investigation of a rear-mounted linkage for wide-span tractors

The work is devoted to the investigation of the peculiarities of aggregation of wide-span tractors (vehicles) with agricultural machines and implements. As a result of the conducted studies, it has been established that, from the point of view of the control impact (the turning angle of the driven wheels) and the disturbing impact (the turning angle of the mounted implement in a horizontal plane) exerted by the wide-span tractor, the most desirable is such a variant of configuration of the mounted device in which the instantaneous centre of rotation, formed by the convergence rays of its lower links, is in the centre of the mass of the tractor. When using wide-span tractors(vehicles) with mounted implements of the high 4N and 4 categories in accordance with the ISO 730: 2009, one should consider a possibility to configure them both for a three-point and a two-point scheme