Optimized Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Ridging and Mulching Machine for Yellow Sand Substrate Based on the Discrete Element Method

Conventional ridging and mulching machines struggle to perform effectively in yellow sand substrates due to their loose texture, high collapsibility, and strong fluidity, which compromise ridge stability and operational quality. To address these challenges, this study proposes the development of an integrated rotary tillage, ridging, and film-mulching machine specifically designed to meet the agronomic requirements of tomato cultivation in greenhouse environments with yellow sand substrate. Based on theoretical analysis and parameter calculations, a soil transportation model was established, and the key structural parameters—such as blade arrangement and helical shaft geometry—were determined. A discrete element method (DEM) simulation was employed to construct a contact model for the yellow sand–slag mixed substrate. A combination of single-factor experiments and Box–Behnken response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of forward speed, shaft rotational speed, and tillage depth on ridge stability and operational performance. The simulation results indicated that a forward speed of 0.82 m·s−1, shaft speed of 260 rpm, and tillage depth of 150 mm yielded the highest ridge stability, with an average of 95.7%. Field trials demonstrated that the ridge top width, base width, height, and spacing were 598.6 mm, 802.3 mm, 202.4 mm, and 1002.8 mm, respectively, with an average ridge stability of 94.3%, differing by only 1.4 percentage points from the simulated results. However, a quantitative traction/energy comparison with conventional equipment was not collected in this study, and we report this as a limitation. The energy consumption is estimated based on power usage and effective field capacity (EFC) under similar operating conditions. Soil firmness reached 152.1 kPa, fully satisfying the agronomic requirements for tomato cultivation. The proposed machine significantly improves operational adaptability and ridge stability in yellow sand substrate conditions, providing robust equipment support for efficient greenhouse farming.