RESEARCH OF THE OPERATION PROCESS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL STUBBLE CULTIVATOR FOR SURFACE TILLAGE

The issues of conservation and accumulation of moisture in the soil, as the most important resource for obtaining a crop while reducing the energy intensity of mechanized processes and crop cultivation technologies, are relevant. In the process of stubble tillage, a loose surface layer is created, which prevents the evaporation of moisture. At the same time, the water and air regimes of the soil are improved, its warming up in the spring is accelerated, microbiological activity is enhanced and favorable conditions are created for the accumulation of nutrients and moisture in the soil layer. An analysis of the modern development of the working bodies of cultivators for surface tillage shows that elastic vibratory working bodies have the greatest crumbling ability with a significant reduction in energy costs. The purpose of the study: determination of the energy indicators of surface tillage of the experimental stubble cultivator KPS-3.8M with combined working bodies in comparison with the serial cultivator KPE-3.8 under conditions of the Crimean region. The studies were carried out in 2021-2022 at the Department of Mechanization of Production and Development of New Types of Equipment of the FSBSI “Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea” together with the Field Crops Department of the same institution. Test conditions: soil type – chernozems southern mycelial-calcareous; soil moisture W – 14.85 ... 18.38%; soil hardness p – 150.59-226.78 N/cm2 ; deformation index ν – 1.46 10-7 - 1.87 10-7 m 2 /N. When surface non-moldboard tillage of grain crops’ stubble (variation in depth change – from 5 to 15 cm) was done, dependences in the form of regression equations of traction resistance on the depth of cultivation and speed of the studied stubble cultivator KPS-3.8M and its serial analogue KPE-3.8 were obtained. The studied cultivators have the greatest difference in traction resistance (20.14%) at a tillage depth of 5 cm. On average, the traction resistance of the studied stubble cultivator KPS-3.8M is 18.74% less than that of the serial KPE-3.8.