METHOD AND COMBINED TILLAGE TOOL ATTACHED TO PLOW OR FLAT HOE AND ADAPTED FOR PREPARING OF UPPER SOWING WATER-RETAINING SOIL LAYER Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: agricultural engineering. SUBSTANCE: method involves plowing upper soil layer for depth nor exceeding 15 cm; crumbling soil lumps in plowed upper soil layer and leveling soil surface by star-wheeled rollers; crumbling soil for depth of up to 12 cm and withdrawing remaining soil lumps onto soil surface by means of power-driven needle-type disks; continuing soil crumbling and compacting at depth of up to 12 cm to obtain soil density of 1/3 g/cub cm by means of passive needle-type disks; compacting upper soil layer by means of star-wheeled rollers and leveling soil surface; ripping by rotating harrow to obtain upper mulch sheet with depth of 4-6 cm from soil aggregates of 0.5-3 mm size. As a result, compacted mid sheet preventing moisture evaporation from lower plowed layer is formed under upper mulch sheet. Tillage tools used to accomplish method have star-wheeled hoe, power-driven needle-type disks and passive needle-type disks, and rotating harrow. All mentioned tools may be hitched to plows or flat hoes. EFFECT: simplified construction, convenient operation and increased efficiency by forming water-retaining soil layer for one pass. 4 cl, 2 dwg