Soil Resistance and its Impact on Tillage Depth

Currently manufactured tractors are equipped with a three-point hitch, which is used to connect semi-mounted implements to the tractor. The tractor three-point hitch is operated hydraulically, using various types of control. The most commonly used control is a force, positional and a mixed one. Each of these types of control has its specific characteristics and some advantages and disadvantages. Finally, each type of control is suitable for certain soil and terrain conditions. Particular attention was paid to a force control, which is improving the use of the tractor with a mounted implement, but on the other hand, adversely affects the uniformity of working depth of implements on soils with variable resistance. Based on theoretical analysis and experimental measurements, there has been determined the effect of soil resistance on the tillage depth, depending on initial conditions for implement deepening. Initial conditions for implement deepening are given by the tillage depth, soil resistance, and the cutting width of a plough. It was found that soil resistance strongly affects the tillage depth, and with increasing soil resistance the tillage depth decreases non-linearly. A gradual increasing of soil resistance is associated with a less-marked decreasing of the tillage depth. These facts will be further used in research, development and experimental verification of new control systems of the three-point hitch of tractors.