Design and experiments of an automatic depth-adjusting double screw trencher and fertiliserning.

In response to the problems of low fertilizer application efficiency, poor operation quality, and uneven application of fertilizer by domestic tea garden trenching and fertilizing machines, an automatic depth-adjusting double screw trenching and fertilizing machine was designed. The machine uses a double spiral furrowing and fertilizer application method, which can complete the integrated operation of furrowing, fertilizer application, and mulching at one time. The key components of the machine such as the screw-type fertilizer discharger, trenching, and fertilizer application mechanism are designed using theoretical analysis, and the trenching depth is automatically adjusted through the hydraulic control system to maintain a consistent depth. A single-factor test and a quadratic regression rotary orthogonal test were conducted to select the diameter of the spiral fertilizer discharger, the rotational speed of the spiral fertilizer discharger, and the rotational speed of the trenching and fertilizer application mechanisms. Based on these tests, the fertilizer application performance of the fertilizer machine was evaluated, and a mathematical model of the fertilizer application volume and coefficient of variation was established. The influence of the test factors on the coefficient of variation was also analyzed. In the study, 58.36 and 480.35 r/min were found to be the optimal rotational speeds for spiral fertilizer discharge and trenching and fertilizer application, respectively, while 88.90 mm was found to be the optimal diameter for spiral fertilizer discharge. The coefficient of variation for the spiral fertilizer discharge was 3.95%, which meets the tea plantation's fertilizer application requirements.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright: © 2022 Zhan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)