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Evaluation of Ploughing Quality

Course developers

Course abstract

Students acquire the history of soil tillage, importance of qualitative ploughing for soil preparing for drilling; studies classification of ploughs, characteristics of ploughs bodies and its preparing for work, evaluate elements of ploughing and main differences in ploughing with conventional and reversible ploughs.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Skills and assessment.
Knowledge and understanding about ploughing theoretical and practical aspects, what is based on results from agro-economical researches and practical works.
Skills to justify and evaluate importance of accurate soil ploughing to further soil tillage and its effect to soil agro-physical properties; to choose optimal soil ploughing time and methods for different soil types using scientifically based principles – exam.

Course Content(Calendar)

Planned lectures:
1. Introduction. History of soil tillage in Latvia and in the world. The organization of ploughman and their activities in Latvia and in the world - 1 h.
2. The importance of qualitative ploughing in soil preparation for sowing. Ploughing as a basic soil treatment, its tasks. The qualitatively performed relationship between the granulometric composition of soil, the thickness of the soil, stoniness, the thickness of the crop, the quantity and type of crop post-mower residues, and the soil moisture content. Effect of ploughing on the agrophysical properties of soil. Plough, its formation and prevention – 3 h.
3. Method of ploughing (conventional, reversible), number of bodies, type of coupling (hanging, semi-heating, coupling), working parts (blades, non-rotating, plates), type of application (general, special) - 3 h.
4. Characteristics of plough housings, their selection and preparation for work. The main active parts of the plough and their characteristics. Characteristics of the most popular plow blades, their suitability for the incorporation of residues of different plants. Selection of corps according to differences in soil density and type. Race and conventional plow equipment - 3 h.
5. General principles for the evaluation of the crop. Criteria and conditions for the evaluation of individual elements – 3 h.
6. Plough elements. Sapling, columns and decoration, the importance of proper enforcement in the basic soil treatment. Basic principles of plowing depth selection and its determinants – 3 h.

List of planned laboratory works:
1. Ploughing as a basic soil treatment, its tasks 1 h.
2. Impact of removal on the agrophysical properties of soil – 2 h.
3. Plough classification – 1 h.
4. Main active parts of the plough, their description and adjustment – 1 h.
5. Characteristics, adjustment options and suitability of the blades for the residues of different plants for incorporation – 2 h.
6. Qualitative assessment of the articulating technology operations with different types of plow and blade blades – 2 h.
7. Sapling and differences in its formation for conventional and variable ploughs – 2 h.
8. Atarium, its engineering technology – 2 h.
9. Ploughing techniques with ploughs of two and more hulls – 1 h.

10. Criteria and conditions for evaluating individual elements – 2 h.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Written exam on the theoretical and practical parts of the course; must receive a grade: passed with a mark.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

In order to receive a grade for exam, the work is graded with a mark 10 point-scale, the mark has to be at least 4.

Compulsory reading

1. Kažotnieks J. Arkli un aršana. Otrais papildinātais izdevums. Ozolnieki: LLKC, 1998. – 32 lpp.
2. Lapiņš D., Kažotnieks J. Laukkopība. Ozolnieki: LLKC, 2000. – 247 lpp.
3. Latvijas arāju sacensību noteikumi. Ceturtais, papildinātais izdevums. Jelgava: LLU, LAO,
2002. – 24 lpp.

Further reading

1. Laukkopības darbu tehnoloģiju izstrāde. Aprēķinu metodiskie norādījumi. Sast. J.Lācars, J.Tupiņš. Jelgava: LLU, 1994. – 57 lpp.
2. Augšņu īpašībām atbilstoša apstrādes sistēma. Rīga: Latvijas PSR VAK, ZTIP, 1986. – 46 lpp.

3. Handbush des Pflanzenbauer: Band 1. Grundlagen der landwirtschaftlichen Pflanzenproduktion. Hrsg. Des Gesamtw. – Stuttgart, Germany: 1997. – 860 s.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Saimnieks LV. Rīga: TEE BIO ISSN 1691 – 1598.
2. Agro Tops. Rīga: Aģentūra Agro Apgāds ISSN
1407 – 5164.
3. Research in Agricultural Engineering.
ISSN 1212 – 9151.