Improvement of the technology of soil preparation by slow powing during forest reforestation

Abstract

Russia has significant forest reserves. In the process of their industrial development, there is a need for reforestation. The required volume of work is very significant and reaches up to 1 million hectares per year. The fundamental criterion that determines the pace and quality of reforestation is the quality and technology of soil preparation. Traditionally in our country, these issues were resolved by the method of moldboard plowing. To date, these technologies are seriously outdated and do not allow a significant increase in work productivity due to the high energy intensity of the process. 

In the study, the power consumption was determined during soil mineralization by moldboard plowing with a PKL70 plow in conditions of “clean” soil, as well as when driving through a cutting area, where there are interferences in the form of roots, shrubs, and small trees. It has been established that the tractors MTZ-82, TLT-100 ensure the processing of “clean” soil in the entire range of speeds. The TLT-100 tractor, when moving with a PKL-70 plow in a cutting area with simultaneous cutting of shrubs and small forests, allows processing at a speed of up to 0.5 m/s. At the same time, the processing capacity is up to 2 hectares per shift. The MTZ-82 tractor under the same conditions can only work in 1 gear of the gearbox with a productivity of not more than 1.5 hectares per shift. To ensure the growth of shift production up to 3.5–4 ha per shift, the power of the traction means is not less than 95–110 kW. Tractors MTZ-82, TLT100 cannot provide a significant increase in productivity in the implementation of soil mineralization, since they have an engine power that is less than required. The way out of this situation may be the transition from the technology of mouldboard plowing to milling or strip processing.