Trajectories for Sustainable Motorized Pilling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Advantages and Disadvantages

Abstract

Four trajectories for motorized plowing were compared on sandy loamy soil in the Benin plateau in order to identify the most effective. We have: Flat plowing (LP), Backing board plowing (LPA), Splitting board plowing (LPR) and alternating superimposed plowing (LAS). A randomized complete block design with three repetitions was experimented with a 60 HP tractor coupled to a 1 m three-share plow at a speed of 6 km/h. Fifteen plots of 300 m² each divided into 3 blocks of 5 named plots (S0: control, S1: LP, S2: LPA, S3: LPR and S4: LAS) were used to execute the trajectories. The agroeconomic parameters considered are: soil texture, wheel slip, fuel consumption, effective-lost-total plowing time, time efficiency and field capacity. The results indicate that the LAS trajectory is advantageous in the case where plowing is carried out with a reversible plow or with a hiller because it has an average consumption of 5845.17 g/ha, an average plowing time of 284 s with an efficiency average of 58.34%. With the simple plow, simultaneously the LPA trajectory (6246.04 g/ha, 270 s and 56.3%) is more economical than the LPR trajectory (6593.81 g/ha, 306 s and 54.17%). This work will help tractor operators and producers perform economical motorized plowing.