Design and experiment of a straw clearing mulching no-tillage planter

When soybean is replanted after wheat in parts of China, problems such as a short sowing period, large straw yield and poor mechanization technology emerge; these problems increase the difficulty of sowing subsequent soybeans and negatively affect soybean quality and yield. In addition, the ecological problems associated with straw burning and soil degradation become increasingly severe. Here, a straw clearing mulching no-tillage planter with integrated functions of lateral straw clearing anti-blocking, precision sowing, pesticide spraying, and straw mulching was developed. This planter could perform several functions, including surface straw clearing before sowing, herbicide spraying after sowing, and straw surface uniform mulching. A lateral straw clearing mulching device was designed, and the main parameters and values affecting the working performance of the device were determined. To verify the technical performance and working quality of straw clearing mulching no-tillage sowing, field experiments were conducted, testing the effects of straw clearing mulching no-tillage sowing (SCMNS) and stubble eliminating rotary-tillage sowing (SERS) on the sowing quality, seedling emergence rate, soil hydrothermal characteristics, soybean yield, and comprehensive economic benefits. The qualified indices of seed spacing and sowing depth of SCMNS were 87.2% and 76.5%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of SERS. SCMNS could enhance the ground temperature, reduce water evaporation, improve water storage, and promote soil moisture conservation. The seedling emergence date of SCMNS was one day earlier than that of SERS. The seedling emergence rate of SCMNS was 89.8%, which was significantly higher than that of SERS. The soybean yields of SCMNS (2809.2 kg·hm−2) and SERS (2207.4 kg·hm−2) significantly differed. SCMNS improved the comprehensive economic benefits by increasing soybean yield and reducing production costs; the net income of 1147.82 €·hm−2 was 50.27% higher than that of SERS.