Thaer Turky’s research while affiliated with University of Tikrit and other places

The utilization of agricultural machinery was fully mechanized for wheat production in Iraq. This study essentially aimed to inspect inputs – outputs energy for wheat production in Salah Al-Deen, Iraq. The data were obtained from 45 wheat farms by using face to face questionnaire method in 2022. The findings from this study were determined in five basic operations (i.e. tillage, sowing, fertilizing. spraying, and harvesting). Direct energy sources (fuel and human) accounted for about 51.39% of the total energy used in cultivation. Energy exemplified in fuel recorded the highest rate of the total expenditure of energy, with 51.09 % (6091.01MJ/ha). Farmers utilized nearly 879.11±39.77 MJ/ha of machinery energy, the highest rate of expenditure of machinery energy was in harvesting, which recorded 38.38 % (337.42 ± 23.89 MJ/ha) of the total energy of machinery used in the study. Results of analyzing the energy of fuel that farmers utilized indicated that operations of tillage were about 25.98 % (1582.29 ± 39.43 MJ/ha) of the total energy of fuel. This rate denoted the highest operation of fuel consumption. Harvesting operations followed it. These operations were implemented through the use of engines powered with diesel were about 23.43% (1427.05 ± 35.68 MJ/ha). The average energy input/output ratio was 4.40 for the wheat crop; while energy intensity was 1.79 MJ/kg for the wheat crop.

Soil cultivation techniques can change the physical properties of soil and have the potential to influence the growth and productivity of crops. In the 2022 season, a research study was carried out on Gypsfreous soil in the College of Agriculture fields at Tikrit University. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the physical properties of the soil are influenced by three different plow types and varying plowing speeds. The study was planned using split plots within a Complete Randomized Blocks Design, with three types of plows (moldboard plow, disc plow, and chisel plow) and three tractor speeds (3.8, 5.8, and 7.6 km h ⁻¹ ) as the experimental treatments. The experiment's findings indicated that the moldboard plow resulted in a greater reduction in bulk density compared to the disc plow. Consequently, the soil's bulk density decreased, and the percentage of porosity increased. On the other hand, the chisel plow had the lowest soil-specific resistance value and the highest soil volume disturbed value. The speed of operation above 3.8 km h ⁻¹ proved to be the most effective in reducing bulk soil density, increasing soil porosity, and reducing specific soil resistance. However, at a speed of 7.6 km h ⁻¹ , the soil volume disturbed was significantly higher than at other speeds. Additionally, the experiment's findings demonstrated that the moldboard plow, operating at a speed of 3.8 km h ⁻¹ , was significantly more effective than other methods in decreasing the soil's bulk density, increasing the porosity percentage, and reducing the specific soil resistance. Conversely, the chisel plow, working at a speed of 7.6 km h ⁻¹ , had a significant advantage in achieving the highest value for the volume of soil disturbed.

Increase of the number of tractors and harvesters working in agriculture improves significantly the number of agricultural land operations, harvest efficiency and eliminates primitive farming methods. The production expansion is either horizontal through exploitation and reclamation of more areas or vertical such as introduction of technological variables in the same unit area. The current study aims to investigate the gap of the ratio of the number of tractors and harvesters to the agricultural area, its technical indicators and its impact on the wheat crop production. Data were obtained from agricultural departments and divisions of the Salah al-Din Agriculture Directorate to calculate some of the indicators of the technological and technical evaluation. Tables were prepared with the numbers of tractors and agricultural harvesters that cover the cultivation and harvest campaign. Their horsepower was proven and then converted to the kilowatt unit, as well as the agricultural areas within the agricultural plan that is implemented by the Directorate for four seasons. The surplus power of agricultural tractors contributed to the increase in the executed agricultural areas and requirements of agricultural operations such as tillage, harrows, and leveling contrary to agricultural harvesters, in which case there was a gap in the decrease of the number of agricultural combines in relation to the implemented agricultural plan, which, as a result, may cause a loss in wheat crop harvesting on the specified date. The mechanical harvest contributed to the increase in the grain received from the wheat by the grain trading company in the province, which brings economic returns to the farmer.