Studies on lifting type digger for root crops (IV)

Effect of digging blade in Baker's garlic-planted sand field

Abstract

As the fundamental studies of lifting type digger development, the draft force, sand surface and Baker's garlic stalks displacement in the planted sand field in the harvest season were measured by the portable draft apparatus with digging blade.
The followings were obtained.
1. When the digging blade passed through the root zone area, the specific resistance (k) was considerably influenced by the cutting resistance of root zone. Also, the cutting of root zone by digging blade was influenced by field moisture content.
2. The cutting efficiency of root zone (Q), which did not show a significant difference among the different shapes, thicknesses and cutting angles of digging blade, was increased with drawing near the bottom of the bulbs and increased with the field moisture content and had a tendency to increase more by using the side blade (S2) than the case of using (S1).
3. The root zone was distributed almost uniformly in the horizontal direction, and 80 to 90% of root zone weight concentrated on the vertical direction at the range of each 5cm to upper and lower side from the bulb bottom.