Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce I
Olatunji, O.M., Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; Davies, R.M., Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
In this research, the relationship between depth of cut, increase in weight of disc plough as well as the draught has been investigated using dimensional analysis on a sandy loam soil. The experiment was conducted on a site with three different moisture contents level at five different speeds (0.83, 1.39, 1.94, 2.5 and 2.78ms-1). It was observed that the depth of penetration increase with an increase in draught and increase in soil moisture content. From the site, the depth of cut was minimum at 4.9% and maximum at 9.4% moisture content. The result obtained from the validation shows that the model can be used effectively to determine the depth of cut in sandy loam soil and also the draught-speed relationship obtained from this work can be used to predict the power requirement of the disc plough in other soil types. The draught increase linearly with the depth of cut as predicted from the model. The result of the soil properties after tillage showed increase with shear strength, bulk density and depth. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2009.