Fuel Consumption Between Two Soil Tillage Systems for Planting Sugarcane

Abstract

Sugarcane production system requires intense agricultural mechanization to prepare the soil and there are enormous questions about which soil preparation should be adopted in order to improve field productivity. Thus, this work aimed to verify the energy optimization in sugarcane soil preparation for increasing productivity. The experiment was carried out with a banded experimental design, with six replications, consisting of two soil tillage systems, one system used was conventional tillage and the other, deep preparation in band. Conventional tillage was carried out with a heavy harrow and subsoiler, while deep preparation was performed in band with “penta” equipment. In both soil tillage systems, the planting was carried out mechanically. Variables were measured: hourly fuel consumption (L h−1), area fuel consumption (L ha−1), operational yield (h ha−1), biometric parameters and crop productivity. The highest hourly fuel consumption occurred in conventional tillage. The different soil tillage systems did not influence mechanized planting. The highest productivity was obtained in the deep band preparation.