Deep choppers - soil tillage machines

Specificity of growing the main crops provides for multiple passes through the field of various heavy equipment: tractors, combines, cars with trailers, etc. Such factors considerably compact the soil, negatively changing its agrotechnical indices.

In addition, with annual plowing and tillage by milling cultivators, the so-called plow sole is formed - a compacted layer at a depth of 20-30 cm.

This compacted layer prevents the penetration of sediments and irrigation water into the lower layers of the soil, as well as the rise of soil moisture upwards. Aeration of the root zone of plants worsens, microbiological activity and circulation of nutrients decrease. The roots of agricultural plants often can not penetrate deeper than the plow sole for access to nutrients and moisture. As a result, the development and growth of plants, the accumulation of nutrients and moisture, and, ultimately, the yield, are significantly reduced.

Particularly acute is the problem with soil re-consolidation in gardens and vineyards, where in the aisles all machinery moves only one possible track. This causes a strong over-consolidation of the soil in these areas, which greatly worsens the drainage. In the future, after the rains in such a rut, water gathers, greatly worsening the patency of technology and reducing the flow of air into the root zone of fruit trees.

A similar situation is common in vegetable growing, where one technological track is used in soil preparation, in sowing, fertilizing, spraying, and also in harvesting.

The only true solution to this problem is the use of deep loosening. For this purpose, special agricultural machines have been developed - deep loosening machines.

The design of these machines is a frame on which are installed several racks with paws for loosening. In the rear part of the deep loosener, sections with discs or rollers are usually installed for additional leveling of the soil and planting of plant residues. By the principle of connection with the tractor, these machines are divided into the following types: hinged and trailed.

Row racks usually have a special system to protect against overloads - stones or areas with very dense soil. This system is a special bolt, which, when the maximum load is reached, is cut off and the stand goes back, thereby preventing damage to the frame itself and the frame of the machine. A kind of protection system with hydraulic cylinders is also used, when, when encountering an obstacle, the column retreats back, and then automatically returns under the action of hydraulics.

The loosening paws can have additional horizontal knives, which allows to improve loosening due to the formation of lateral cracks in the soil layer. Sometimes for the same purpose vibrating stands are used with the drive from the tractor's power take-off shaft.

Deep choppers with a working width of more than 3 meters usually have a folding frame for easy transportation. As additional options on the machine can be installed side protection plates and a device for applying fertilizers.

The main advantages of deep loosening are:

1. The absence of lumps on the surface of the soil, as when plowing.
2. Improvement of physical properties of soil: decrease in density and increase in porosity.
3. Improving the water properties of the soil: drainage and water permeability.
4. Improvement of aeration of roots of agricultural plants.
5. The supply of nutrients to the deeper layers of the soil.

The use of deep loosening allows increasing the yield of crops, saving on fuel due to easier subsequent tillage of other tools, and also, in some cases, replacing plowing as the most severe and energy-intensive treatment.

To conduct this agrotechnical technique is recommended 1 time in 2-3 years to a depth of 50-70 cm, combining with the introduction of mineral or organic fertilizers.