Soil preparation method and device for implementing it.

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for preparing agricultural soil prior to sowing, characterized in that it consists of forming, at a first depth (a), a plurality of furrows by means of symmetrical double-share (2a) and double-moldboard (2b) plough bodies (2), each spaced from its neighbor by a distance (E) such that it leaves between two adjacent furrows (6) a strip of unworked soil of width (L) at least equal to the width (C) of each furrow (6), and then, after a period of eight to fifteen days, forming, at a second depth (b), a second plurality of furrows (10), offset from the first by a value (D) equal to half the spacing (E) of the plough bodies (2). FIGURE IN ABRIDGED DIAGRAM: [Fig 4]

Description

Title of the invention: Method of working the soil and device for implementing it. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The current period is the scene of major climatic and environmental changes which involve, in agriculture, a questioning of traditional soil working methods.

[0002] This questioning began at the beginning of the century and is based on innovations resulting from technological breakthroughs linked to progress in genomics and digital technology and to cultural practices different from traditional ploughing.

[0003] Among these major developments, we will mention on the one hand, the development of plant varieties with sought-after properties such as resistance to pests or diseases, associated with the creation of more effective cytopharmaceutical molecules under reduced doses and on the other hand, the development of digitalization, allowing precision control of agricultural equipment and very fine monitoring of the soils worked.

[0004] As far as cultivation techniques are concerned, it is necessary to mention those called simplified, such as direct sowing or cultivation without ploughing, with the aim of respecting as much as possible the natural richness of the soil and its ability to retain moisture.

[0005] It is within this framework of the evolution of cultivation practices that the invention falls. More precisely, the state of the art closest to the invention is to date the process called "strip till" or strip cultivation, consisting of opening a passage through the residues by creating a seed bed comparable to conventional work, but while leaving the residues on the surface in the inter-row to retain the advantages of direct seeding (no disturbance of the soil, conservation of humidity, reduction of weed growth).

[0006] The invention relates to a new soil working technique which retains the qualities of simplified cultivation techniques while proposing inter-strip work. SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a method for preparing agricultural soil, prior to sowing, characterized in that it consists of forming, at a first depth, a plurality of furrows by means of ploughing bodies with a double share and a symmetrical double mouldboard, each spaced from its neighbour by a distance whose value is such that it leaves between two adjacent furrows a strip of unworked earth of width at least equal to the width of each furrow and then to form, after a period of eight to fifteen days, at a second depth, a second plurality of furrows, offset from the first by a value equal to half the spacing of the plough bodies.

[0008] The first pass of the plough bodies opens furrows by pouring the turned soil onto the strip of soil left unworked between the furrows. The strip of soil is more precisely covered, approximately over half its width, by the soil from a mouldboard, the second half of the width of this strip being covered by the soil turned over by the mouldboard of the adjacent plough body. These two portions of soil folded back onto the unworked strip, butted up and leaning against each other, then form a sort of windrow between each furrow in the heart of which the crop residues are contained, protected from the atmosphere. There then occurs, before the second pass of the plough bodies, a first natural decomposition of these residues (those turned over and those unworked) which constitutes a reserve of nitrogenous matter at the same time as a conservation of the organisms thriving on the surface of the soil.

[0009] The second pass of the ploughing bodies is carried out after the time needed for this decomposition, a time which is of the order of one to two or three weeks, depending essentially on the nature of the soil, the climatic and atmospheric conditions prevailing at the place of work and especially on the experience of the farmer who is best able to know the behavior of the fields he is working, as is always the case in agriculture. During this second pass, each body splits a windrow at the same time as it constitutes a furrow, also shallow, of the same depth as the first furrow or of a slightly greater depth, at the location of the strip of unworked land. A plurality of adjacent windrows of larger volume than the first are again constituted which largely fill the furrows made during the first pass of the bodies.

[0010] It is understood that by this treatment of the soil, the organic matter that it contains is preserved in each windrow, which brings the advantages that we know in terms of conservation of the richness of the soil, its bio-diversity and therefore less need for synthetic fertilizers.

[0011] After these two passes, the soil is of course leveled using conventional tools. The soil is then ready for sowing, which can be carried out in due time, depending on the nature of the plant to be harvested and the climatic conditions favourable to this operation.

[0012] Preferably, the lateral spacing of the double-mouldboard ploughing bodies is greater than the strict width of each body so that on the second pass, a narrow strip of unworked soil is kept between the first and second furrows which has the advantage of constituting a sort of low wall between two adjacent furrows, the presence of which can be beneficial for water retention and oppose the leaching which can occur at the bottom of the furrow, depending on the configuration of the land worked.

[0013] In a preferred variant of the method according to the invention, the depth of the second furrows is greater than that of the first furrows. The inter-furrow wall is then better founded.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to promote the work of each body, the method of the invention comprises, before the creation of the furrows, the opening of a mini furrow.

[0015] A second object of the invention lies in the device intended to implement the above-mentioned method.

[0016] This device comprises a tool consisting of a chassis transverse to the working direction under which are fixed at equal distance from each other a plurality of ploughing bodies with double share and double mouldboard, the distance separating two adjacent bodies being at least equal to twice the working width of each body.

[0017] The aforementioned chassis also constitutes the support of a tooth preceding each body to open a mini groove before the latter.

[0018] The end bodies are half-bodies with a single ploughshare and a single moldboard.

[0019] Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description given below of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0020] Reference will be made to the attached drawings, among which:

[0021] [Fig. 1]] is a diagram illustrating the general structure of the tool for implementing the method according to the invention,

[0022] [Fig.2]] is a side view of a body carried by the chassis

[0023] [Fig.3]] is the cross-sectional diagram of the soil work carried out by the tool of [Fig.l], during of a first pass of this tool,

[0024] [Fig.4]] is a partial diagram illustrating the position of the tool of [Fig.l] during the second passage of the latter,

[0025] [Fig.5]] is a diagram identical to [Fig.2] illustrating the configuration of the ground after the two passes of the tool,

[0026] [Fig.6]] illustrates in section the structure of the soil before sowing. Description of the embodiments

[0027] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the tool for implementing the method of the invention is of a conventional architecture with a beam or a transverse frame 1, 1a, carrying a plurality of ploughing bodies 2 with double ploughshare 2a and double mouldboard 2b, with the exception of the end bodies 3 and 4 which are half bodies with single ploughshare 3a, 4a whose single mouldboards 3b, 4b are turned towards the centre of the tool.

[0028] The chassis 1 also carries, at the front of each body, in the direction A of work, a tooth 5 which allows the soil to be opened by forming a mini furrow followed by the point of the corresponding share. The tool will not be described or shown in more detail, because it includes all the elements known in mounted multi-body ploughs, in particular the anti-stone safety devices and the means for adjusting the working depth. The chassis is preferably articulated so that each of its ends can be raised for transport.

[0029] The diagram seen from above in [Fig.l] illustrates the spacing E of two adjacent bodies which is at least equal to twice the width C of each body, therefore to the width of the furrow formed by this body.

[0030] The method of the invention comprises a first phase of working the soil which consists of forming furrows or lines of width la (width separating the end of each share from a body) of a given depth (a) relatively small (of the order of ten centimeters) and spaced by a strip of unworked soil of width at least equal to the width of the line and preferably of a width L greater by the order of 10 cm than that C of each body. The strip of earth turned over by a moldboard 3a is poured onto the strip of unworked earth at the same time as that 2b turned over by the moldboard 2b of the adjacent body. These two strips lean against each other and form a windrow 8 enclosing the residual plants within it.

[0031] [Fig. 3] schematically illustrates in section through plane PP of [Fig. 1], the result obtained by this first pass of the tool. The furrows 6 and the windrows 8 formed as described above are shown.

[0032] [Fig. 4] illustrates the second working phase according to the invention. The position that the tool had during the execution of the first phase described above has been shown in a shaded manner. The tool, for the second phase, is offset transversely with respect to this position by a value D, equal to half the spacing E of two adjacent bodies. The working depth (b) may be identical to that of the first phase but will preferably be a little greater than this (of the order of one and a half times this). During this second phase, the passage of the tool splits the windrows 8 to overturn them in the furrows 6 by half at the same time as the strips of soil not worked during the first passage of the tool.It will be noted that, due to an unworked strip width L greater than the width C of each body, the furrows 10 formed in this second working phase leave a portion of unworked soil between them and the furrows of the first phase, portions which constitute a sort of low walls 11 which, depending on the configuration of the soil, can advantageously oppose the leaching of the soil, in particular during torrential rains and more generally a retention of humidity in the windrows. These low walls 9 are visible in [Fig.5] which is a section of the soil similar to [Fig.3] also illustrating the formation of the final windrows 12 which largely fill the first ones. furrows.

[0033] [Fig.6] also illustrates by a section the final state of the soil prepared according to the process of the invention after passing a surface leveling tool, ready for sowing.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for preparing agricultural soil, prior to sowing, characterized in that it consists of forming, at a first depth (a), a plurality of furrows by means of symmetrical double-share (2a) and double-mouldboard (2b) ploughing bodies (2), each spaced from its neighbor by a distance (E) the value of which is such that it leaves between two adjacent furrows (6) a strip of unworked earth of width (L) at least equal to the width (C) of each furrow (6) then forming, after a period of eight to fifteen days, at a second depth (b), a second plurality of furrows (10), offset relative to the first by a value equal (D) to the half-spacing (E) of the ploughing bodies (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral spacing (E) of the double moldboard ploughing bodies (2) is greater than the strict width (C) of each body, so that in the second pass, a narrow strip of unworked soil is kept between the first and second furrows which constitutes a sort of low wall (11) between two adjacent furrows (6, 10).

3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the depth (b) of the second furrows (10) is greater than that (a) of the first furrows (6).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, before the creation of the grooves, the opening of a mini groove.

5. Device for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a tool consisting of a transverse frame (1, 1a) relative to the working direction (A) under which are fixed at equidistance from each other a plurality of ploughing bodies (2) with double share (2a) and double mouldboard (3a), the spacing (E) of two adjacent bodies (2) being at least equal to twice the working width (C) of each body (2).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the aforementioned frame (1) also constitutes the support of a tooth (5) preceding each body (2) to open a mini groove before the latter.

7. Device according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that it comprises at each end a half-body (3, 4) whose moldboard (3a, 4a) is turned towards the center of the tool.

Images