Comparison of the effectiveness of different mechanical tools for the termination of cover crops using a modular prototype

Cover crops are crops that occupy the soil between the end of a cash crop and the beginning of the next one, providing both agronomic and environmental benefits. To allow for the subsequent cultivation of the cash crop, cover crops must undergo an appropriate termination process based on winter frost, herbicide chemical treatments, or mechanical methods. For this latter approach, previous published research has only examined the effectiveness of termination obtained with individual mechanical tools without considering the possible synergistic effects of multiple tools with complementary actions. To address this gap, a modular multi-tool prototype has been developed in this work. It allows for the evaluation of the effects of different types of tools, both individually and in combination. The working modules of the prototype include: 1) tine cultivator; 2) disk harrow; and 3) crimper roller. Field trials were carried out in 2021 and 2022 on three fields of approximately 6000 m2, which were divided into 60 plots each and sown with vetch and barley. The plots were mechanically terminated with the prototype in different configurations, and the effectiveness of the different modules and their combinations was subsequently evaluated by measuring the NDVI index using ground sensing technology. The results indicate that the disk harrow 15°, used alone and in combination with other tools considered (crimper roller and tine cultivator for barley, crimper roller for vetch), offered the best termination effectiveness for both barley and vetch, with a termination rate of greater than or equal to 85%.