Soil Scarification Equipment Mounted on a Grapple Loader

A ncw small-scale cquipmcnt for soil scarification has bccn cvaluatcd. Thc attachmcnt consists of two pipcs with harrow pins that a rc boltcd on to a convcntional log grapplc. Thc soi l scar if icat ion is donc by opcning thc grapplc. placing it to thc ground, c losing it, l i f t ing and dropping thc vcgctat ion and humus lapcr bcsidc thc patch. A s implc a t t ach~ncn t for mechanical sowing was also tcstcd. Timc consumption (cffcctivc timc) pcr patch was 11.4 scconds. T imc consumption was about 2.5 scconds highcr pcr patch whcn also sowing was donc. Ncarly 90 % of thc timc was nianocuvring thc grapplc loadcr. Productivity was 320 patchcs pcr hour whcn only soil scarification was donc and 262 patches pcr hour when also sowing was donc. Thc avcragc s izc of thc patchcs was about 70 dm'. Thc thin harrow pins looscncd thc uppcr laycr of thc mincral soil. Thc cquipmcnt was rclativcly inscnsitivc to s toncs and s tumps bccausc o f thc dr ivcr 's possibilities to placc thc patchcs on good locations, and thc elasticity in tlic pins. Thc patchcs consistcd mostly of mincral soil mixcd with somc remaining humus. Vcry littlc mincral soil was rcmovcd from the patch.