Research on determination of effects of structural changes in some soil tillage machines on machine work success: Fixed and reversible mouldboard plough example

The agricultural sector holds strategic importance both nationally and globally, as it plays a fundamental role in meeting humanity's basic food needs and provides employment opportunities for a large segment of the population. With its multifaceted functions—ensuring food security, supporting rural development, and maintaining economic stability—agriculture assumes a critical role in achieving sustainable development goals. In this context, the primary objective of agricultural production is to achieve the highest possible yield in terms of both quality and quantity from the available arable land. Efforts to enhance agricultural productivity are supported through multidimensional strategies such as the implementation of modern production techniques, the optimization of input use, and the development of environmentally responsive production models. This study was conducted on the agricultural fields of the Western Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute Directorate and aimed to investigate the effects of structural variations in agricultural machinery on operational efficiency. Within the scope of the experimental work, field trials were carried out using a New Holland TD110 model tractor equipped with a five-furrow conventional moldboard plow (SKP) and a reversible moldboard plow (DKP). The research primarily focused on systematically analyzing the impact of structural design differences in soil tillage machinery on operational performance. In this context, key soil tillage parameters such as drawbar pull requirement, slippage rate, fuel consumption, and field efficiency were comparatively examined. The data were directly collected from the field using various measurement instruments. In particular, a dynamometer was employed to measure the tractor's draft force, while a soil penetrometer was used to assess the physical resistance of the soil. Based on these measurements, the subsequent calculations and analyses provided a scientific foundation for evaluating the performance of different plow types under field conditions in terms of operational success and energy efficiency, thereby contributing to the development of improved mechanization strategies. The findings of the study revealed that, in soil tillage operations conducted using both the conventional moldboard plow (SKP) and the reversible moldboard plow (DKP), the majority of the total operation time was spent on the primary tillage process along the length of the field. This indicates that, in terms of field efficiency, the longitudinal tillage process requires significantly more time compared to turning, adjustment, and other auxiliary operations, and thus should be considered a critical factor in the evaluation of machine performance. Comparative analyses demonstrated that structural design and weight differences between the SKP and DKP had a substantial impact on the duration of these operations. In this context, the time required for soil tillage using the SKP was measured at 3,752.0 seconds, whereas the same operation conducted with the DKP extended to 4,997.0 seconds. Soil moisture content, a key parameter in the evaluation of tillage conditions, was measured at 21.78% at the time of the field study. This value exceeds standard ranges and contributed to increased drawbar force and energy requirements during the tillage process. Specifically, the drawbar force was recorded as 9.63 kN for operations conducted with the conventional moldboard plow (SKP), whereas it increased to 15.82 kN for the reversible moldboard plow (DKP). Similarly, slippage rates were higher with the DKP at 19.34%, compared to 18.33% with the SKP. This outcome can be attributed to the DKP's structurally heavier and more resistant configuration. When evaluated in terms of fuel consumption, the hourly average consumption was measured as 18.74 liters in the operations carried out with SKP; this value increased to 22.06 liters in the applications carried out with DKP. According to the time study results, field efficiency was calculated as 0.75 in SKP and 0.80 in DKP. These ratios show that although the DKP has a longer working time, it has the advantage of uninterrupted and continuous processing. In addition, in the evaluation made in terms of the effective area capacity of the machines, it was determined that SKP reached a work success of 5.68 da/h and DKP reached a work success of 6.06 da/h, and a program was developed in MS Excel Software on field efficiency and work success. These results reveal that moldboard plow types can exhibit different work successes in line with the field conditions, structural features and energy requirements and constitute decisive parameters on soil processing performance. Soil tillage operations represent one of the fundamental stages in the agricultural production process, and their efficiency is directly influenced by performance indicators such as time-motion studies, soil tillage parameters, and machine operational effectiveness. In this context, the structural characteristics of the machines used during tillage play a critical role in factors such as labor requirements, energy consumption, and in-field time utilization. The findings of the study revealed that the structural design differences between the SKP and DKP had significant effects on soil tillage performance.