The soil compaction process; Methods of measuring soil compaction; Forces causing soil compaction; Compaction as it affects soil conditions; Soil conditions as they affect plant establishment, root development and yield; Effect of tillage on soil compaction; Management factors and natural forces as related to compaction; Economic assessment of soil compaction.

Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Engineering - Mechanical Engineering, Junagadh Agricultural University (College of Agril Engineering & Technology), course: M.Tech Thesis, language: English, abstract: The objectives of this study are to develop a mini tractor mounted clod crusher, to evaluate the performance of the developed machine and to work out economics of the machine. In tillage tools used in India faces problem like, poor soil-tire interface, clod formation, compaction due to heavy traffic and timeliness in operation. Hence, it was planned to fabricate three different types of clod crusher and to evaluate its performance with clod crusher implements. To achieve this objective a prototype implement consisting of three different types of clod crusher cylinders’ like as square spike, round spike and spiral arrangement of spike were developed costing Rs. 7000/- per each cylinder. The newly developed implement was tested in field condition to evaluate its performance. Their performance results were analyzed in terms of tilling quality of soil and machine parameters. The effects of treatments on soil physical properties like soil bulk density, clod MWD were evaluated. Machine performance parameters like fuel consumption, field efficiency and cost of operation were also studied. Better performance in terms of tilling quality of soil was obtained using clod crusher (square spike) attachment to cultivator. The optimum values of clod MWD, clod crushing field efficiency and fuel consumption were found 13.64 mm, 78.37 % and 7.02 lit/ha respectively. The operating cost were found 882, 1050 and 988 ₹/ha in square spike, round spike and spiral arrangement respectively. Using clod crusher attachment to cultivator a farmer can save more rupees against another implement which is used for seed bed preparation.

This textbook comprehensively covers the fundamental concepts of tillage operation, including all the three kinds of tillage implements, viz. passive, active and combination. It discusses functional analysis, principle of operation, and testing of main tillage machinery. This textbook includes the design procedure and numerical examples to reinforce the theoretical concepts. It incorporates a lucid style of writing with easy-to-understand design procedure of different tillage implements. This textbook is highly useful for graduate and postgraduate students studying farm machinery and power engineering, design of agricultural machines, and allied fields.

After giving a brief history of tillage practices and implements used throughout the world dating back to ancient times, this book goes on to describe the basic soil mechanics techniques needed to calculate the forces developed in soil by simple-shaped cutting tools. The methods of measuring soil mechanical properties, water pressure in soil and shear rate effects are touched upon. A review is given of two and three dimensional soil cutting mathematical mechanics models to predict soil cutting forces and soil volumes disturbed by cutting and tillage tools, as well as the state-of-the-art of soil loosening, structural rearrangement and plant growth as affected by tillage tools. The author also includes an introduction to the analysis of traction machines. There are many numerical examples of mechanical analyses and predictions worked out in the various sections of the book as well as numerous unsolved problems at the end of a number of the chapters.Written in a textbook style, this monograph is ideal for anyone wanting to learn modern techniques for the mechanical description of soil cutting and tillage forces and soil volumes disturbed. It also provides a reference for analytical formulae and calculated force forces. It will be of interest to universities and colleges worldwide which have Agricultural Engineering Programs, Civil and Mechanical Engineering schools which specialize in soil mechanics and construction machinery as well as to research stations worldwide with interests in soil tillage, soil physics etc.