Theoretical Substantiation of Mineral Fertilizer Movement in the Fertilizer Tube
Abstract
The development and implementation of energy and resource-saving types of machinery and equipment for agricultural activities in crop fields dedicated to vegetable cultivation is gaining a leading position worldwide. "Considering that vegetable crops are cultivated on over 58.2 million hectares globally it is a crucial task to introduce high-performance, modern technical means for fertilizing vegetable crops and inter-row cultivation. In this regard, special attention is being paid to using compact, low-energy-consuming technical means that allow for increasing the efficiency of fertilizer use in vegetable cultivation and applying them to the specified depth and width. World-wide, research and development efforts are underway to develop new scientific and technical solutions for resource-saving technical means that apply fertilizers locally and work in open conditions for inter-row cultivation, with the aim of reducing the amount of applied fertilizers and increasing their effectiveness in preserving the natural properties of vegetables. In this direction, particular attention is paid to developing a drill coulter design that ensures the operation of working bodies in open conditions to reduce energy consumption during local fertilizer application and inter-row cultivation in a single pass for onions, as well as scientifically substantiating the technological processes and parameters they performed. This article presents the results of theoretical studies conducted on the movement of mineral fertilizers from the metering device through the fertilizer conduit. The main factors affecting the movement of mineral fertilizers in the fertilizer conduit are analyzed. Based on the research, graphs illustrating the change in the fertilizer exit rate from the conduit over time are constructed. Based on the results obtained, scientifically based recommendations for uniform fertilizer application are provided. The length of the fertilizer tube and the angles of the guide installation can be selected depending on the speed of the fertilizer machine, the falling distance of the fertilizer, and the application rate.