Energy saving at ploughing

Ploughing is the basis for all cultivation (working) of farm land. Ploughing methods and necessity as well as alternative cultivation methods in relation to soil biology is being intensely examined in the agricultural research globally, but assumably ploughing (turning of soil) will be the most essential method for working the farm land also in the coming decades. The annual Danish energy comsumption by using tractors on farm land is appr. 316 million liters of diesel oil equivalent to appr. 3160 GWh. An estimated 25% of this or appr. 800 GWh i used for ploughing. Recent tests performed at Danmarks JordbrugsForskning, Bygholm (The Danish Agricultural Research Inst.) have proven the energy consumption by the actual ploughing to be appr. 2/3 of the total energy consumption (to keep the tractor running and carry out the ploughing). The total energy consumption in Denmark by the actual ploughing is therefore estimated to be appr. 500 GWh. The energy consumption by the actual ploughing can be separated into two essential main elements: The power needed to break the soil; Friction between the soil and the various parts of the plough. In order to optimize the energy consumption when ploughing the exact knowledge of: distribution of energy consumption between the two elements mentioned and; element parameters' influence on the energy consumption depending on the soil structure is essential in order to set up design criterias for construction, choice of materials and ploughing technique