Reducing draft force on mounted implements by an electrified traction roller: Traction assistance on a slurry-injecting grubber

More and more, electrification is implemented in new tractors. The need for electrified mounted implements and application units will rise as well. Nowadays, semi-liquid manure and digestives from biogas crops are injected directly into the soil. This technique significantly reduces nutrient losses and ammonia emissions. In the case of loamy soils and clay, a high draft force is needed for slurry deposition into the soil. With the development and testing of an application unit with reduced working width, the draft force reduction is proved. In this study we report results from field trails on untilled clay. For getting a clean outcome of the expected draft force reduction, the driving tests were performed having a pulling tractor in front of the carrying tractor with the mounted slurry-injecting grubber. Evaluating the draft force data results obtained by 9.600 single measurements during driving trials, the maximum draft force of up to 5.20 tons needed for pulling the carrying tractor without electrified assistance on upward slope is reduced to 3.42 tons under traction support by the electrified roller. This is equivalent to a reduction of nearly one third. The presented results show new kinds of working scenarios and operation modes for agriculture. Having a draft force reduction on heavy soils, electrification of slurry-injecting grubbers can be a good solution in taking care of nutrient losses and ammonia emissions.