Richard John Godwin

Harper Adams University | HAUC · Engineering

Soil compaction causes adverse effects on soil structure and the performance of crops. There is significant literature supporting the hypothesis that reducing tire inflation pressure can help to minimize compaction, but there is no data on the potential benefits of high flexion tires operating at reduced tire pressures in Midwestern United States a...

Compacting soil has an adverse effect on soil properties, decreases crop productivity, and subsequently reduces farm income. Low tire inflation pressure (LTP) help in managing soil compaction and protecting the soil environment; however, there is scant economic data available on LTP in US Midwest farming systems. Hence, a 3‐year study investigated...

While agricultural engineers are concerned with physico-mechanical properties of arable soils, agronomists tackle crop management husbandry as soil scientists’ dwell on bio-chemical properties. Such diverse and isolated interests seldom report any interaction or integrated effect of biological, agronomical, and physico-mechanical parameters of soil...

This chapter examines the relationship between agricultural traffic and soil compaction. It begins by reviewing research on how agricultural traffic affects soil compaction as well as ways of measuring soil compaction and its effects. It then discusses a range of potential techniques to avoid soil compaction. These include: controlled-traffic farmi...

This paper reports on a 3 × 3 factorial study to consider the effects of controlled traffic (CTF), low tyre inflation pressure (high flexion) tyres (LTP) and standard tyre inflation pressure (STP) farming systems for deep, shallow and zero tillage practices on the yield of wheat, barley, oats and field beans grown in a sandy loam soil in the UK. Th...

By collecting more data at a higher resolution and by creating the capacity to implement detailed crop management, autonomous crop equipment has the potential to revolutionise precision agriculture (PA), but unless farmers find autonomous equipment profitable it is unlikely to be widely adopted. The objective of this study was to identify the poten...

The water retention curve (WRC) of arable soils from the southeastern United States at different levels of compaction (no compaction, and 10 and 20% increases in soil bulk density) was estimated using the van Genuchten–Mualem (VG) model. The VG water retention parameters of the noncompacted soils were obtained first by fitting measured soil hydraul...

Historically, most mouldboard plough research has been focused on improving the performance of the mouldboard itself, with very little focus on other plough components such as the skimmer. The skimmer is a critical additional component of the overall mouldboard plough which affects its performance in the field. The skimmer has a significant effect...

The growing world population demands rise of crop yields, which has resulted in agricultural intensification. This in turn has been accompanied by an increase in machinery size and weight and consequently escalating degrees of soil compaction. Compacted soil inhibit root development, water availability, nutrient uptake and causes yield loses. Remed...

X-Ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) facilitates the quantification of soil structure by measuring soil macro-pore size, distribution, and porosity. An investigation of the effects of ultra-flex tires operating at low and standard tire inflation pressures on a silty clay loam soil prepared with three tillage systems (deep tillage, 450 mm; shallow t...

The effect of soil compaction, depending upon its severity, can significantly reduce crop yields by 10 to 15%, increase tillage energy requirements by 200 to 300% and drastically reduce infiltration rates, increasing the problems of runoff , diffuse pollution and flooding. The pressure on the soil at depths of 0.5m has been estimated to have increa...

There is both circumstantial and direct evidence, which demonstrates the significant productivity and sustainability benefits associated with adoption of controlled traffic farming (CTF). These benefits may be fully realised when CTF is jointly practiced with no-tillage and assisted by the range of precision agriculture (PA) technologies available....

This paper reports on the continuation of a long-term experiment on the effects of alternative field traffic systems (STP-random traffic with standard tyre inflation pressure, LTP-random traffic with low tyre inflation pressure and CTF-controlled traffic farming) on soil conditions and crop development as influenced by different tillage depths (DEE...

Swarm robotics has the potential to radically change the economies of size in agriculture and this will impact farm size and structure in the UK. This study uses a systematic review of the economics of agricultural robotics literature, data from the Hands Free Hectare (HFH) demonstration project which showed the technical feasibility of robotic gra...

Grassland silage management is generally semi-organised with no conscious attempt to re-use wheel ways as with arable fields. The total number of machine passes can be 15 or more with normal traffic (NT) systems resulting in potentially large areas of a field suffering from direct damage to the crop and soil. Literature suggests there can be grass...

A study of the effect of tire pressure and tillage systems on soil properties and crop development in a corn (Zea mays L.)/soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation was conducted in Champaign County, Illinois from November 2016 through October 2017. The treatment comprised standard and low tire pressures (standard/low tire pressures were 0.14/0.07 MPa for...

Grassland silage management is generally ad hoc resulting in soil compaction damage. Literature suggests grass yield reductions of 5 to 74% through compaction (UK mean 13%), while a 2015 study, reported here, comparing grass dry matter (DM) yield between controlled traffic farming (CTF) and normal management (N), found a 13.5% (0.80 t ha ⁻¹ ) incre...

The progressive increase in the size and weight of farm machinery causes concerns due to the increased risk of soil compaction that arises from non-organized vehicle traffic. Controlled traffic farming (CTF) offers an effective means to manage compaction by confining all load-bearing wheels to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. Alt...

Core Ideas Agronomic efficiency of organomineral fertilizers higher than biosolids granules. Organomineral fertilizers reduces the risk of soil P build‐up compared with biosolids. Conversion of sewage sludge into organomineral fertilizers improves the fertilizer value of biosolids. Field‐scale experiments in four crop seasons established the agron...

Loading soil via pneumatic tyres is a major cause of compaction of agricultural soils, which causes damage to the soil-water-air-plant system. The loads applied to the soil and the resulting pressure influences the degree of soil compaction. This study was conducted to determine an effective method to measure the pressure distribution under a selec...

This book with nine chapters describes the main methods for visual soil evaluation (VSE) of soil structure and soil-related properties. It includes clear visual images of the variation of soil quality and how these relate to soil productivity and environmental sustainability. Such images raise awareness and provide a measure of the soil degradation...

This paper reviews the results of recent traffic systems research and concludes that the evidence shows that with sufficient ingenuity by farmers and their equipment suppliers to match operating and wheel track widths, the traffic management systems that reduce soil compaction should improve crop yield, reduce energy consumption and improve infiltr...

The particle size range specifications for two biosolids-derived organomineral fertilizers (OMF) known as OMF10 (10:4:4) and OMF15 (15:4:4) were established. Such specifications will enable field application of OMF with spinning disc systems using conventional tramlines spacing. A theoretical model was developed, which predicts the trajectory of in...

The accuracy of a commercial pressure mapping system was evaluated and a number of techniques for the improvement of pressure measurements were developed. These were required in order to use the pressure mapping system in a tyre/surface interaction study which involved determination of the tyre contact pressure distribution on, both, hard and soil...

An experiment was conducted in the soil bin laboratory of Cranfield University, England, to evaluate the performance of a concrete conical press wheel used to compact ridge sides for concentration of rainfall in the furrow bottom. The evaluation included compaction of the ridge side in terms of soil bulk density and rolling resistance of the press...

This study investigated the availability of phosphorus (P) following soil application of a novel biosolids-derived organomineral fertilizer (OMF15; 15:4:4) in comparison with single superphosphate (0:18:0). Two soil types of contrasting characteristics were incubated over a period of 90 days at 25 ◦C and maintained near field capacity. Phosphorus w...

This study investigated the availability of nitrogen (N) following soil application of a novel biosolids-derived organomineral fertilizer (OMF15—15:4:4) in comparison with urea (46% N). OMF15 is produced by coating biosolids granules (particle size range: 1.10–5.50 mm in diameter) with urea and potash [60% potassium oxide (K2O)], which increase the...

A pot scale trial investigated the agronomic performance of two organomineral fertilizers (OMF15—15:4:4 and OMF10—10:4:4) in comparison with urea and biosolids granules to establish ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Two soils of contrasting characteristics and nitrogen (N) application rates in the range of 0–300 kg ha−1 were used over a period of 3 yea...

The anchorage provided by the coronal roots of cereal crops is essential to keep the plants upright and prevent them falling over (lodging), the anchorage of wheat depends upon both soil strength and coronal root properties. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of three cultivation systems (zero, shallow and deep tillage) on s...

The compression of biomass to a drier, more homogenized and densified end product is beneficial in terms of transport, storage and handling of the material. Knowledge of the force and pressure needed to obtain a desired compressed density is required for the design of compression plants used in the bioenergy sector. Thus, a relationship to predict...

Traditional agricultural production in Europe involves extensive infield trafficking for soil preparation and seeding, chemical applications, harvesting, grain and straw removal. Conventional practice, which involves random trafficking and deep tillage, exposes up to 86% of the field to soil compaction in one year resulting in poor structure, water...

Controlled traffic farming is technology based on avoiding soil compaction through use of permanent tramlines. It has potential to restore soil structure, to increase the energy efficiency and to reduce GHG emissions. However, increasing yield in an economically viable manner is always a motivation for farmers to convert to new production methods....

Agricultural vehicles are getting heavy and compaction results in lower yields, poor soil structure and soil-water regimes. A number of studies have shown that the first pass causes the most damage and therefore care must be taken to ensure that when tractors enter the field they are fitted with the most appropriate running gear for the application...

Biosolids-derived organomineral fertilisers (OMF) were produced using a novel technique reported in earlier studies. This technique enables addition of N and potash to biosolids granules to form a balanced NPK fertiliser. Two fertiliser products; OMF10 (10:4:4) and OMF15 (15:4:4), were formulated and tested in a glasshouse facility on pot-grown rye...

An investigation was made of the fracture risk to buried ceramic pots and bones from the subsurface pressures generated by agricultural operations. A method for generating subsurface pressures at 0.25 m depth in a soil bin was developed and used to explore fracture failure of modern replicates of ceramic pots corresponding to different archaeologic...

The selection of the appropriate tire size and inflation pressure for a particular load and soil condition is a critical consideration to ensure that the effects of vehicle traffic on soil compaction are minimized and that agricultural soils are managed in a sustainable manner. This study investigated the changes in soil bulk density from soil disp...

The aim of this work was to determine the particle size range of two organomineral fertilisers (OMF) that may enable broadcast application with standard fertiliser spreading equipment using conventional tramlines spacing. A theoretical model was developed which predicts the trajectory of individual fertiliser particles off-the-disc. The drag coeffi...

The stripping mechanism offers much to harvest and partially thresh sorghum with a single mechanism. However, current stripper harvester designs were developed for wheat and barley and are not particularly effective for harvesting grains such as sorghum, which are a staple crop in many parts of the world. Therefore, an experimental rotational grain...

Brassica napus L. (canola/oilseed rape) straw presents a suitable alternative combustion fuel due to its availability, relatively high calorific value and low moisture content. Pelletization enabled the bulk density of canola straw to be improved, enhancing its potential as an alternative combustion fuel. The aim of the paper was to determine the e...

Applied and Environmental Soil Science, Special Issue: Biosolids Soil Application - Agronomic and Environmental Implications 2013. A field-scale experiment was conducted to compare the suitability of two organomineral fertiliser (OMF) formulations (OMF10—10 : 4 : 4 and OMF15—15 : 4 : 4) with urea and biosolids granules applied to perennial ryegrass...

Applied and Environmental Soil Science, Special Issue: Biosolids Soil Application, Agronomic and Environmental Implications 2013. Organomineral fertilisers (OMFs) were produced by coating biosolids granules with urea and potash. Two OMF formulations with N : P2O5 : K2O compositions: 10:4:4 (OMF10) and 15:4:4 (OMF15) were developed for application i...

Cereals like sorghum, maize, wheat, barley and rice are the most important sources of food forbillions of people globally. They are consumed in different forms such as porridge, bread, and rice and used in various beverages. Conventional harvesters used to harvest these grains cut and feed a lot of straw together with grain into the threshing machi...

An experimental rotational grain-stripping rig device was fabricated to study the effect of using the larger re-designed stripping tools as compared to conventional smaller existing stripping tools to strip sorghum grain off the grain panicles. The redesigning of the stripping tools involved increasing their sizes by a scale factor of 1.5X and 2X o...

A technique was developed to produce organomineral fertilisers (OMF) using biosolids granules coated with urea and potash. Two OMF formulations with the following N:P2O5:K2O compositions: 10:4:4 (OMF10) and 15:4:4 (OMF15) were developed for application in grassland and arable crops. Routine fertiliser analyses were conducted on OMF and biosolids sa...

The aim of this paper is to investigate if the force and energy requirements of soil engaging buckets can be predicted using classical Mohr-Coulomb soil mechanics principles by the extension and adaption of the General Soil Mechanics Equation. The longer term aim is to help design engineers improve the efficiency of buckets without compromising the...

Agricultural production systems are increasingly characterised by extensive in-field trafficking of larger and heavier field machinery. The random nature of trafficking, covering 80-90% of the field area, that is characteristic of commercial practice, inevitably leads to negative impacts on soil, water and crop characteristics because of degraded s...

This paper is written as a result of a series of lectures given over the early few months of 2013 to help farmers and land managers handle the very serious problems of water logging in fields arising from the prolonged period of rainfall in the summer, autumn and winter of 2012 in England. The paper covers some of the fundamental aspects of soil an...

The compression behaviour of oilseed rape straw into briquettes was investigated in terms of the specific energies required for the process as well as the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the process. In comparison to unmilled straw, milled straw required less energy to form the briquette and was associated with lower carbon dioxide emissio...

UK agricultural production systems are increasingly characterised by larger and heavier field machinery, resulting in increased traffic and tillage induced soil compaction. The future of a sustainable agricultural sector must balance an increase in demand for production whilst protecting the environment. Emerging technologies and engineering soluti...

The natural spatial variability of soil properties adversely affects the accuracy and efficiency of agricultural experiments because error estimates based on observations from replicates of the same treatment are often inflated due to soil heterogeneity. In such situations, the treatment effects cannot be assessed accurately and the results may app...

In this paper we present a multi-disciplinary analysis of the potential impacts of undertaking, similar environmental actions on multiple farms in a small geographic area, using organic farming as a, proxy for a co-ordinated approach. Recent papers have called for more co-ordinated efforts between, farmers in terms of their environmental actions, b...

Brassica napus L. (canola/oilseed rape) straw presents a suitable alternative combustion fuel due to its availability, relatively high calorific value and low moisture content. Pelletization enabled the bulk density of canola straw to be improved, enhancing its potential as an alternative combustion fuel. The aim of the research was to study the ch...

The aim of this study was to determine the availability of N and P resulting from the soil application of a novel organomineral fertiliser (OMF15 – 15:4:4) reported in earlier studies, in comparison with urea (46% N) and single superphosphate (SSP – 0:18:0). A sandy loam and a clay loam soils were incubated over a period of 90 days at 25 degrees Ce...

The effect of on-farm storage on microbial growth on baled and pelletised Brassica napus (oilseed rape/canola) straw was investigated. Canola straw collected in 2008 and 2009 was stored baled in an open shed for 3, 4, 7, 10 and 20 months in 2008 and for 1 and 3 months in 2009. Pellets were produced from straw stored for 3, 7, and 10 months in 2008...

In the United Kingdom (UK), the total area of canola harvested increased between 2000 and 2008 from 332,000 ha to 598,000 ha, respectively. Currently there is not a significant market for canola straw in the UK, and consequently development of a market for canola straw would add value to the gross margin of the crop at farm level. As a biomass wast...

Organic farming and improvements to agricultural sustainability are often seen as synonymous. However, an extensive European review demonstrated that in practice this is not always true. This study aims to compare the status of soil and water properties between separate fields managed in either an organic or a conventional manner. Soil samples were...

Over recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in tractor-implement operating efficiencies - driven by high fossil fuel prices and environmental issues linked to emissions and CO2 usage. The tractor 3 point linkage is actually a key element in this quest for optimum efficiency since it controls two important elements; first, by controll...

Cultural and natural resource management on Military training lands is currently compliance-driven, and supports sustainable training and overall mission readiness. A key component to maintaining sustainable training lands is the performance of essential landcare maintenance operations, which is able to enhance land capability for improve mission r...

Four wheel drive (4WD) tractors now dominate their two wheel drive counterparts in many regions of the world - in particular Europe and the USA. The benefits in terms of increased drawbar pull and work rate are well understood. 4WD tractors vary in the design of the power split between front and rear axles; from equal wheels F:R implying approximat...

Increasing machine size requires improved efficiency in the design of the undercarriage systems to reduce its potential effects on soil compaction. This chapter reports on an in-depth investigation of tires and tracks on soil compaction to explore the potential of modern undercarriage gear in minimizing soil compaction, i.e. soil density increase....

The flat, field trials were designed to test the relative effects of different primary cultivation systems and specific combinations of implement and tyre treatments, identified during the soil bin laboratory work (Appendix 1) as having a minimal below-ground impact, on a series of mocked-up archaeological sites. These combinations were tested agai...

This study investigates 16 pairs of farms (organic and conventional) located in England. These are over a range of soil textures: clay, silty clay loam, clay loam and sandy loam. There are also two different land uses (grass and winter wheat). The research incorporates field measurements of infiltration rates and HOST classification with modelling...

In the United Kingdom (UK) there is not a significant market for oilseed rape (OSR) straw, and a large proportion of it is chopped and incorporated into the soil. Thus, the development of a market for OSR straw as a fuel would add value to the gross margin of the crop at farm level. This review paper has shown that OSR straw represents a huge poten...

Soil compaction is a significant problem affecting crop growth, the infiltration of rainfall and tillage energy requirements. It can be exacerbated by the weight of modern farm equipment if sufficient care is not taken. Where possible, preventing compaction - both severity and depth - is preferable to the techniques for remediation. Recommendations...

The objective of this paper is to identify what data should be stored in an automatic recording system to trace the use of agrochemicals. RFID tags are proposed as the most appropriate storage systems. The essential information to store on an RFID tag is as follows: country of registration, chemical type, unique registration number of an agrochemic...

This paper demonstrates the determination of the virgin compression line parameters from initial soil density, contact pressure and resulting rut depth in uniform soil conditions for which a constant soil density change to a depth of 500mm was obtained in soil bin experiments (whereby total soil depth was 750mm). The density change was determined w...

Alternative approaches for deriving virgin compression line (VCL) parameters, and their suitability to predict soil displacement from part I and II of this paper series (2 and 3) using the critical state soil mechanics model COMPSOIL, are presented. In particular, the in situ approach to determine a VCL from readily available tyre and soil data (An...

Three identical newly developed automated tension infiltrometers (Špongrová et al., 2009) were tested in the laboratory and in the field. In the laboratory, the infiltrometers were used on a uniform sandy loam profile prepared in a large soil tank. The measured steady-state data were used to determine the hydraulic conductivity near saturation, K(h...

As part of a system to determine real time tractive efficiency tractor-implement force measurement is required. Although tractors have become much more technologically advanced through the use of CANBus systems, there has been little further development on linkage force measurement and performance other than draught control, lower pin sensing and d...

Tension infiltrometry is a useful in situ technique that is commonly used to determine hydraulic conductivity of the soil saturation; however, the measurements are time consuming and costly. The aim of this study was to develop a automated tension infiltrometer for field use based on already existing designs. Differential pressure transducers used...