Investigation of tillage appearance and some performance indicators for two types of plows under different plowing speeds

This study investigates the impact of plow type and speed on tillage appearance and performance indicators in the 2022 farming season. Two plow types, moldboard and disc, and three plowing speeds (3.8 km/h, 5.756 km/h, and 7.584 km/h) were examined using a Massey Ferguson tractor. The experiment followed a split-plot design with three replications. The results indicate that the disc plow outperformed the moldboard plow in the exploitation coefficient of working width, achieving 85.824% compared to 79.033%. The interaction of disc plow and 7.584 km/h resulted in the highest exploitation coefficient (92.528%). Regarding depth stability coefficient, the reversible disc plow showed superiority (91.433%) over the moldboard plow (85.924%). Speed significantly influenced depth stability, with 3.835 km/h achieving the highest coefficient (94.858%). Lateral deviation ratio was affected by plow type and speed, with the reversible moldboard plow and lower speed resulting in the lowest ratio (1.688%). The vertical deviation ratio was unaffected by plow type but increased with speed. The interaction of disc plow and 7.584 km/h recorded the highest ratio (7.865%). Field productivity was significantly impacted by plow type, speed, and their interaction, with the disc plow outperforming (0.493 hectares/hour vs. 0.418 hectares/hour). Energy consumption was influenced by plow type, speed, and their interaction, with the disc plow showing the lowest consumption (42.506 kWh/hectare) and the dump plow the highest (49.486 kWh/hectare). This study provides comprehensive insights into the effects of plow type and speed on various tillage indicators, highlighting the importance of considering these factors for optimizing agricultural practices.