DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A TURFGRASS AERATION MACHINE

Nasr, G.M.; Badawy, E.M.; Sharobeem, Y. F.; Refai, M. A.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2015.98581

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A TURFGRASS AERATION MACHINE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Professor of Agricultural Engineering, Fac. Agric., Cairo University, Egypt.

² Professor of Ornamental Horticulture, Fac. Agric., Cairo University, Egypt.

³ Head Res. of Agric. Eng., Agric. Eng. Res. Inst., Ministry of Agric., Egypt.

⁴ Demonstrator, Agric. Eng., Fac. Agric. Cairo University, Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2015.98581

Abstract

Turfgrass aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of turfgrass. Most aeration is done mechanically with a machine having hollow tines or spoons mounted on a disk or drum. The objective of this study is to development, evaluation and manufactures an aeration machine for turfgrass. The evaluation study focused on measurements of soil bulk density, void ratio, soil porosity and energy consumption. The first three parameters were measured before and after turfgrass aeration with three tine diameters (1.27, 1.9 and 2.54 cm) under two depths (5 and 8 cm ) with three working forward speeds (1.5 , 2 and 2.7 km/h.). Results showed that reduction in bulk densities in all treatments and the effective treatment was 0.78 at 8 cm depth, tine diameter 1.27 cm and forward speed 1.5 km/h. The void ratio increased for all treatments, while the highest increase value was 1.95 at 8 cm depth, tine diameter 1.27 cm and forward speed 1.5 km/h. and Soil porosity increased for all treatments, and the effective treatment from variance analysis was 66.09 % with same treatment.it noticed that The highest values of field capacity was 0.687 fed/h with third diameter 2.54 cm at 5 cm depth with 2.7 km/h. It was found that the higher treatment in consumed fuel was the third diameter (2.54 cm) at 8 cm depth and 2.7 km/h (5.78 L/h). It was found that (tine diameter 1.27 cm, depth 5 cm and forward speed 2.7 km /h) had the lower value energy consumption 22.84 kW.h./fed.

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