Design and Experiment of an Inter-Row Weeding Machine Applied in Soybean and Corn Strip Compound Planting (SCSCP)

To address the lack of specialized machinery for the mechanical weeding of SCSCP in the Huang Huai Hai region, this study designs a mechanized inter-row weeding machine for SCSCP. The machine features a reciprocating weeding shovel and an adaptive contouring mechanism for cultivation and soil loosening. This paper details the machine’s principles by analyzing the geometric relationship and mechanical model between the corresponding profiling quantities, which determine the relevant parameters for adaptive contouring to ensure stable operation on undulating ground. Furthermore, by optimizing the design of the weeding shovel’s reciprocating motion mechanism, combining EDEM simulation with the weeding shovel–soil interaction, it has been determined that, at various PTO shaft speeds, the optimal weeding efficacy is achieved with a blade-type weeding shovel structure when operating at a forward speed of 3.5 km/h. Field experiments were conducted with different PTO shaft speeds and weeding depths, using weeding and seedling injury rates as performance indicators. The results showed that, based on the optimal speed, the PTO shaft speed is 760 r/min, the operating depth is 3–5 cm, and the average row weeding rate is 90.4%. The average soybean and corn seedling injury rate is 3.4% and 4.2%, meeting the technical requirements for mechanical weeding.