Design and performance evaluation of notched type discs for application in no-till seeding process using discrete element method and field trials

Abstract

Improvements to soil-contact components are essential to minimise the negative impact of residual straw on high-speed planting. This study developed a soil-contact disc with a cutting-edge design based on an involute curve to replace traditional implements. Theoretical analysis was conducted for the process of cutting straw. Discrete Element Method (DEM) was employed to simulate the performance of four discs with different numbers of teeth, including 7 teeth disc (STD), 8 teeth disc (ETD), 9 teeth disc (NTD), 10 teeth disc (TTD), and two traditional discs (ND and CD) at and two rotation direction (FR and RR) at two speeds (10 and 12 km h⁻¹). The results indicated that the NTD exhibited the largest performance improvement, including the straw management and soil resistance, and minimum soil structure disturbance. A comparison with traditional tools further validated the superior performance of the NTD. The disc with RR resulted in the minimum soil resistance and the optimum straw distribution than FR. Field trials with a planting platform equipped with the NTD and a straw-cleaning blade (SCB) were conducted, which demonstrated improved straw-cleaning efficiency, as well as lower coefficients of variation of plant spacing (ζ_a) and lateral deviation (ζ_c). This study provides a viable solution for straw removal from fields during high-speed sowing.