Investigating the Soil Hardness on Personal Subsidiary and Individual Peasant Farms

Introduction. Vegetable growing is one of the most important branches of agricultural production. Production of vegetables is carried out in both agricultural enterprises and on personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms. Growing vegetable crops on personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms involves tillage: plowing, cultivation, milling, etc. For tillage, there are actively used small tools, in particular tillers. The experience of their use and the research on the effectiveness of their functioning allow identifying ways to improve tillage quality.Aim of the Study. The study is aimed at identifying the hardness of medium-loamy gray forest soil on different soil horizons typical for growing fruits and vegetables in personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms.Materials and Methods. To measure the soil hardness, there are used different types of penetrometers: percussion, statically loaded and forcibly pressing a deformer (cone, cy­linder, and ball) into the soil. In the study, instruments and devices for measuring the soil hardness were analyzed. The scheme of the soil hardness analysis included measurements after harvesting the following crops: potatoes dug using a motor cultivator with a passive potato digger, potatoes dug with a hand tool (shovel), fodder beets, squashes, and common onions. The soil hardness was measured using a hardness tester (penetrometer) manufactured by Wile Soil.Results. The use of hardness testers in personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms is difficult due to their high cost and to the fact that the most part of these devices are specialized laboratory equipment, which require specific skills when used. Analyzing the soil hardness on personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms in the post-harvest period is a relevant task for optimal functioning of tillers, namely, it will allow operators to use the most efficient modes for tillage that will increase the tillage unit performance.Discussion and Conclusions. Based on the analysis of the results of the experimental stu­dies, there have been obtained the regression equations that allow determining the value of the hardness of medium-loamy gray forest soil from a depth (up to 20 cm) in the period after harvesting crops, which are the most common for growing in personal subsidiary and individual peasant farms of the Republic of Mordovia.