Course Name: FPM 3211 Agricultural Machinery

Tillage and Tillage Systems

Dr. MD. SANAUL HUDA

Associate Professor
Department of Farm Power and Machinery
Bangladesh Agricultural University
2 What will cover this topic …..
 Definition of tillage

 Purpose of tillage

 Classification of tillage system

3 Tillage – What is it?

 Tillage is the mechanical manipulation of soil to provide

favourable condition for crop production.

 Soil tillage consists of breaking the compact surface of

earth to a certain depth and to loose the soil mass.

 More energy required than other cropping procedure

 Requires more time, it can not be done rapidly

4 Tillage operation – Past and Present
5 Tillage operation – Past and Present
6 Tillage operation – Past and Present
7 Purpose of tillage
 To reduce the soil particles

 To provide a well pulverized seedbed

 To provide a favorable soil environment for the germination

of seeds

 To prevent and destroy weeds or other unwanted

vegetation

 To destroy insects, as well as their eggs, larvae and

breeding places
8 Purpose of tillage (contd.)
 To improve the physical, biological and chemical environment of the
soil

 To ensure adequate air circulation to supply for optimum Oxygen

and Nitrogen

 To ensure uniform mixing of fertilizers and manures with the soil

 To prepare land for irrigation

 To smooth or otherwise prepare the soil for subsequent operation.

9 Classification of tillage
 Primary tillage

 Secondary tillage

 Minimum tillage

 Strip tillage

 Mulch tillage

 Zero or No tillage
10 Primary tillage
 The operations performed to open up any cultivable land
with a view to prepare a seedbed for growing crops are
termed as primary tillage.

 Implements used:
- Moldboard plough
- Disc plough
- Rotary plough
- Chisel plough
11 Primary tillage

 Heavier primary implements are used for this purpose.

• e.g. Disc plough, Mould board plough, Rotary tiller,
Rotavator etc.

▪ [Rotary tiller: When tillage is done by

power tiller
▪ Rotavator: When tillage is done by
tractor.]
12 Secondary tillage
 Lighter and finer operations performed on the soil after
primary tillage, but before and after seed placement are
termed as secondary tillage.

 Implements used:
- Harrows
- Pulverizes
- Cultivators
- Weeders
- Levelers
13 Minimum tillage
 Minimum tillage involves only the operation necessary to
optimize the soil condition for each type of soil/crop within a
field.

 Objectives:
- to reduce mechanical energy
- to reduce labor requirement
- to conserve soil moisture
- to reduce soil erosion
14 Strip tillage
• It is a tillage system in which only isolated bands of soil are
tilled.

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15 Mulch tillage
• It is the preparations of soil in such a way that plant
residues or other mulching materials are specially left on or
near the surface.

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16 Zero/No tillage
 Zero tillage is defined as the operation of planting crops in
previously unprepared soil by opening a narrow slot or
band only of sufficient width and depth to obtain proper
seed coverage.
17 Tillage implements types

According to the source of power tillage implements are

broadly classify as three main heads:

1. Hand operated tools: pulling, swinging by human muscle.

2. Animal drawn implements
3. Tractor drawn implements
18 Tillage implements types

Hand operated tools are two types:

I. Handle type tools: spade, shovels, hand hoe etc.
II. Wheel type tools: wheel hoes

Animal drawn implements are to types:

I. Walking type: All the indigenous plough, Cultivators, harrows.
II. Riding type: Bulky and grand plough

Advantages:
I. Operated at high speed
II. Covers a large width
III. Penetrate deeper than other implements
IV. Minimum labour required
V. Less time required
VI. Cost less
19 Tillage implements types

Tractor drawn implements:

I. Trailed type implement / Pull type implement
II. Semi-Mounted type implement
III. Mounted type implement

Trailed or pull type implement:

A trailed or pull type implement is one that is pulled and guided from a
single hitch point and is never completely supported by the tractor. The
main body of the implement is supported on the ground e.g. country plough.
20 Tillage implements types
Tractor drawn implements:
I. Trailed type implement / Pull type implement
II. Semi-Mounted type implement
III. Mounted type implement

Semi-Mounted type implement:

A semi-mounted type implement is attached to the tractor through a
horizontal and nearly horizontal hinge axis and is partially supported by the
tractor, but is never completely supported by the tractor e.g. Mould board
plough.
21 Tillage implements types
Tractor drawn implements:
I. Trailed type implement / Pull type implement
II. Semi-Mounted type implement
III. Mounted type implement

Mounted type implement:

A mounted type implement is one that is attached to the tractor through a
hitch linkage in such a manner that is completely supported by the tractor
during operation and in raised position. It is hydraulically controlled and
kept raised during transport, e.g. disc harrows (depth control + completely
independent in support)
Course Name: FPM 3211 Agricultural Machinery

Machine Performance

Dr. Md. Sanaul Huda

Associate Professor
Department of Farm Power and Machinery
Bangladesh Agricultural University
23 Contents
• Meaning of Economic performance

• How to evaluate Economic performance?

• Machine performance:
− Field capacity
− Material capacity
− Throughput capacity

• Factors affecting field capacity and field efficiency

24 Economic performance – What is it?
• Economic performance of a machinery system is measured in
terms of the monetary gain per unit of output.

• Maximum system performance occurs when the production

cost per unit is the lowest.
25 Economic performance – How to evaluate it?

• Economic performance of a farm machinery system usually

evaluate based on:

− Machine performance

− Power performance

− Operator Performance
26 Machine performance – What is it?
• Agricultural machine performance can be defined as the rate
and quality at which agricultural operations are accomplished.

• During evaluation of machine performance, following factors

must be considered:
− Quality as well as quantity
− Complete and speedy operations

• Machine performance is reported in terms of quantity per unit

time.
27 Machine performance – How to measure?

A. Field capacity
− Theoretical field capacity
− Effective field capacity

B. Material capacity

C. Throughput capacity
28 Field capacity – What is it?

• Area covered by a field machine during operation in unit time

is called as field capacity.

• It is usually expressed as acre/h or ha/h.

29 Factors that affecting field capacity
1. Width of machine, as affected by
- Total measured working width of machine
- Percentage of this width actually used (deducting overlap)

2. Speed of travel, as affected by

- Draft of machine
- Operating limitations on speed
- Drawbar horsepower available
- Variations in grade and rolling resistance
- Traction of power source
30 Factors that affecting field capacity
3. Time lost in
• Lubricating, adding fuel, etc.
• Machine adjustment
• Adding seed, fertilizer, etc.
• Unloading harvested products
• Idle travel, turning corners and end of the field
• Clogging of machine
• Breakdowns
31 Theoretical field capacity
• It is the rate of field coverage by the machine or implement
that would be obtained if the machine performs its function
100% of the time at the rated forward speed and always
covers 100% of its rated width.

• Where,
S = Forward speed, km/h
W = rated width of the implement, m
C = Constant, 10
32 Effective field capacity
• It is the actual average rate of field coverage by the machine
or implement based upon the total field time.

• Where,
S = Forward speed, km/h
W = Rated width of the implement, m
e = Field efficiency
C = Constant, 10
 Effective Field Capacity
• Effective field capacity (C )-
When a machine perform its actual rate of
coverage
S = 5 km/hr ??
• W  100% and S  100% S < 5 km/hr
Overlapping = 0.1m S = 4.5 km/hr
Overlapping % = 5 % Time loss
Actual width = 95 % = 10 %
= (1 * 0.95) = 0.95 m

1m 1m

S = 5 km/hr
1. .9m 33
34 Field efficiency
• It is the ratio of the theoretical operating time to the total time
spent in the field.

• It includes the effects of time lost in the field and failure to

utilize the full width of the machine.

• Field efficiency is also defined as the ratio of theoretical field

time to the total time spent in the field.
35 Factors that affecting field efficiency
• Theoretical capacity of the machine

• Machine maneuverability

• Field pattern

• Field shape

• Field size

• Yield

• Soil and crop conditions

• System limitations

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36 Example: 01
A farmer used a 4 bottom 30 cm moldboard plough to cultivate 8
ha land at the rated forward speed of the tractor of 6.5 km/hr. If
the actual width of coverage and tractor operating speed is 5%
less than the rated width of plough and rated forward speed of
tractor, calculate:

i. Theoretical field capacity

ii. Effective field capacity
iii. Field efficiency.

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37 Example: 01 - Given

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38 Example: 01 - Solution


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39 Effective field capacity
A more precise mathematical statement of the effective field capacity can be
derived by taking account of turning time, swath overlap and such area related
time as filling seed boxes, unloading grain tank or unhitching yield collecting
wagons etc. along with the assumption of rectangular field with headlands as:

𝒘
𝒆𝒇𝒇
𝟏 𝒘 𝟐

Where,
Ceff = Effective field capacity, ha/hr D = Unproductive time, hr/ha
S = Forward speed, km / hr t = turning time, sec/turn
W = Rated width of implement, m C1 = Constant, 10
L = Length of the field, m C2 = Constant, 2.7778
Ew = Effective swath coverage,
Decimal(%) of rated width
40 Material Capacity
The weight of finished material obtained from a machine after
processing is the material capacity of that machine.

Where,
S = Forward speed, km/hr
w = Rated width of machine,
e = Field efficiency, decimal
C = constant, 10
Y = Yield, t/ha
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41 Throughput Capacity
• The total weight of material fed into a machine for processing
is called throughput capacity of the machine.

• This is the amount of material that can be handled by a

machine.

• It is the rate of feeding or processing a total mass of material

through a machine.

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42 Example: 02
A 5 m width-of-cut combine is traveling 1.5 m/s. In one minute's
time 50 kg of grain are collected in the grain tank and 60 kg of
material are discharged out of the rear of the machine. Calculate –
i. Field capacity
ii. Material capacity,
iii. Throughput capacity

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43 Example: 02 - Solution

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44 Time elements of machine operation:
The following list describes the time elements that involve labour,

that are associated with typical field operation and that should be

included when computing the capacities or costs of machinery

related to the various form enterprises:

• Machine preparation time at the farmstead

• Travel time to and from the field

• Machine preparation time in the field both before and after the

field operation

• Theoretical field time 44

45 Time elements of machine operation:

• Turning time and time crossing gross water ways

• Time to load or unload the machine if not done on the go

• Machine adjustment time if not done on the go

• Maintenance time

• Repair time

• Operator’s personal time.

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46 Time elements of machine operation:

• It is the time that would be required

for a machine when it is operating in a field at an optimum

forward speed and performing over its full width.

• It is the time during which the machine

actually performing its intended function.

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 Unit Equation

Theoretical Field Capacity (Cth) ha/hr = (SW/10)

Effective Field Capacity (Ceff) ha/hr = (SWe/10) = Ct × e

Theoretical time (To) hr/ha = 1/ Cth

Effective time (Ttot) hr/ha = 1/ Ceff

Field efficiency (e) Decimal = C / Ct = To / Ttot

= [To / (Te +Th +Ta)]
S = Speed in km/hr, W = Width of machine in m
Th = Time lost not related to area
Ta = Time lost related to area
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 Effective time (Te) =
• Theoretical time (To) +
• Turning time +
• Time crossing grass and ways +
• Time to load and unload (if any) +
• Machine adjustment time +
• Maintenance times (refueling, lubrication,
chain tightening etc) +
• Repairing time

4 field capacity 48
49 Class exercise
• A 5m width of cut self-propelled combine makes an average stop of
4 min every time, its 2 time grain tank is to be unloaded. This stop
includes the time for adjustment, lubrications, refueling and the
operator’s personal time. The gross yield of the field is 2.1 ton/ha.
Material losses are assumed as 0.1 ton/ha. The operating speed is
4.8 km/hr. The time for turning on a head land at the ends of the
400 m field is 15 sec. The average actual width of cut is 0.95 of the
theoretical. Find
– Theoretical field capacity
– Effective field capacity
– Field efficiency
– Percent time loss and
– Material efficiency

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50 Class exercise Solution
Data Given:
Width of Cut, W = 5 m
Time Loss (unloading), D = 4 min/2t of grain tank
= 4 min/ha = 0.07 hr/ha
Gross yield, y = 2.1 t/ha
Material loss = 0.1 t/ha
Operating speed, S = 4.8 km/hr
Length of the field, L = 400 m
Time loss per turning, t = 15 sec
Effective width of cut, Ew = 0.95 of theoretical rated width

Required:
Theoretical field capacity, Cth =?
Effective field capacity, Cef = ?
Field efficiency, e = ?
Percent time loss = ?
Material efficiency, Me = ? 50
51 Class exercise Solution

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52 Class exercise Solution

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53 Class exercise Solution

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54 Home exercise
• Find theoretical machine capacity in ha/h using the unit factor system
for a 3 m width-of cut mower observed to travel 100 m in 52 s.

• Find the actual field capacity of a 2-m mower. The average forward
speed is 8 km/h and the expected field efficiency is 0.80.

• Determine the field capacity of a 4-m self-propelled combine working

in soybeans planted in 70 cm rows. Assume the average field speed
to be 4.5 km/h and a field efficiency of 0.70.

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