Influence of skidding in two mechanized tillage

systems for quinoa cultivation

Influencia del patinaje en dos sistemas de labranza

mecanizada para el cultivo de quinua

Roque Orlando García-Zanabria

1

Abstract: The mechanized tillage systems of agricultural soils for the

cost and time. The objective of the study was to determine the

percentage of skidding in sandy textured soils for quinoa cultivation,

with slope ranges from 5 to 12% with moisture contents from 13 to

18% under conventional and minimum or reduced tillage systems in

plowing, harrowing, furrowing, using disk plow, chisel plow, disk

harrow, furrower coupled to an agricultural tractor of 95 KW of power

with assisted traction.

Resumen: En los sistemas de labranza mecanizada de suelos

incremento de costo y tiempo. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar

el porcentaje de patinaje en suelos de textura arenosa para cultivo de

quinua, con rangos de pendiente de 5 a 12% con contenidos de

humedad de 13 al 18% bajo sistemas de labranza convencional y

arado de discos, arado cincel, rastra de discos, surcador acoplados a

un tractor agrícola de 95 KW de potencia con tracción asistida.

Influence of skidding in two mechanized tillage systems for quinoa cultivation.

Introduction

In the central highlands of Ecuador, soil preparation for quinoa

cultivation is carried out by applying conventional and minimum tillage

systems, using different implements that cause soil compaction for

agricultural crops, with machinery traffic having the greatest impact.

The influence of agricultural machinery on compaction is expressed

through the action of: pressure on the soil, weight on the rolling

systems, number of passes, travel speed and slip; which act on the

prevailing conditions on the ground the state of compactness of the

When a volume of soil is subjected to the stresses caused by the traffic

of agricultural machinery and these exceed the internal resistance of the

soil, compaction occurs, which has a cumulative character. It extends

from the surface to the subsoil. Surface compaction originates up to a

depth of 0.3 m, in the arable layer, and subsoil or subsurface compaction

occurs at depths greater than the arable layer (Alakukku et al., 2003)

cited by (Omar González Cueto, 2010).

The effect of skidding on compaction is manifested through the increase

in the length of the contact area and by the shear stress on the soil.

Tractor skidding compacts only a thin layer of surface soil up to 0.05

It has been proven that surface compaction is produced by the pressure

in the wheel-soil contact zone, but subsurface compaction is produced

by the entire weight of the equipment (V. Gasso, 2013); therefore if the

weight of an axle does not exceed 49 kN, it will only compact the first

30 cm of the soil profile. (A. M. Terminiello, 2000) This is how the

traffic of the wheels of the equipment used under the RTF system

impacts soil compaction. This system consists of passing machinery

over the crop field, often intensively, where the decision of the sequence

and frequency of operations is made by the producer, causing soil

destructuring and reducing its effective porosity.

It has been indicated that in order to conserve the soil efficiently, the

number of passes of agricultural machinery over the field should be

reduced (B. P. Cadena, 2012). Hence the importance of an adequate

selection of equipment (in terms of topography, soil, crop and

the same work area with machinery unsuitable for the operating

conditions (M. Kroulík, 2011).

more efficient than at the front wheel, but the amount of power

Compaction affects crop development and production; the bulk density

emphasis on soil conservation (Emilio Pinedo Taco, Alberto Marcial

Influence of skidding in two mechanized tillage systems for quinoa cultivation.

furrows and its working speed is 4 to 6 km/hour (JAIME ORTIZ-

Conventional or traditional tillage involves the intensive use of disc

implements such as harrows, rakes and polishers that seek to remove

the soil surface. The number of passes ranges from 4 to 8, which can

cause annual soil losses of 10 t/ha, compaction and soil degradation

18%, the previous crops were corn, peas, barley, potato. A 10000m2 lot

was used in DBCA design with 3 replications in which conventional

tillage systems were applied with disc plow, disc harrow and furrower

and in minimum tillage with chisel plow and furrower coupled to an

agricultural tractor of 95 Hp power assisted traction (figure 2). The

travel time, the travel distance in 10 turns of the driving wheel, the

The displacement is considered as 10 turns of the driving wheel.

Figure 2. Equipment and implements used in the investigation

Influence of skidding in two mechanized tillage systems for quinoa cultivation.

implements for complementary tillage present lower values as can be

surface, as a result of trampling by animals and people, inadequate use

of equipment such as tractors, especially when the soil is wet,

depending on the tillage system, the implement applied in each task,

which produces different percentages of slippage.

The percentage of skidding of the driving wheel in soils of sandy to

sandy loam texture should not exceed 15% when this happens the

traction is inefficient, soil moisture and shear strength in Kpa in soils of

the Tunshi community, presents statistical differences for tillage

systems with an average of 8.93 Kpa and a Coefficient of Variation of

5.78%.

the first 0.25 m of the soil, used in conventional tillage; while the

the crop yield.

Influence of skidding in two mechanized tillage systems for quinoa cultivation.

The tillage system influences soil compaction to the extent of the

intensity of tillage, this compaction in turn influences the root growth

of quinoa, the development of the plant, and finally the yield.

Penetration resistance