Evaluation of a new tillage tool; considering soil physical property, energy requirement and potato yield

Two series of field experiments were conducted for this comparison study, one in the UK and the second in Iran. First, the effects of each implement on the soil structure were investigated. Then these implements were used in the preparation of a potato seedbed for a final evaluation. Soil physical changes were measured including soil aggregate size analysis, cone penetrometer resistance, bulk density, surface relief and soil moisture content before and after cultivation. The field experiments concluded that an overall improvement of about 40% in output (ha h(-1)) could be obtained when using the new plow (combination of disk and chisel) compared with a conventional plow. The aggregate analysis of the cultivated layer revealed that the performance of the two machines was largely similar and no significant differences were seen in potato production rates during two years of field experiments, indicating no disadvantage from using an alternative to the moldboard plow.