Central Luzon State University

College of Engineering
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija 3120

AM 780 – AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AND

MACHINERY MANAGEMENT

Laboratory Activity

Primary Tillage Implements and its uses in Agriculture

DISC HARROW

Submitted by:
LARRY S. OLIPAS/ MSAEn 1

Submitted to:
ROMEO B. GAVINO, Ph.D.
Professor VI

February 2020
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AM 780 – AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AND

MACHINERY MANAGEMENT

Secondary Tillage Equipment and its uses in Agriculture

[ DISC HARROW ]

Introduction
Disking is a farm management practice used for soil preparation. It usually follows

plowing, either deep or shallow. While plowing cuts, granulates, and inverts the soil, creating

furrows and ridges, disking breaks up clods and surface crusts. Additionally, disking improves

soil granulation and surface uniformity. As one of the most important soil preparation practices,

disking is beneficial for provoking the weed growth and destroys already emerged weeds. It also

assists in the important task of incorporating crop residues into the soil (I. Hajdu, 2020).

Harrowing is one of the most important soil preparation methods used by farmers. It

helps in serving many purposes varying from levelling of heavy soil to eradicating dead grass

and to preparing the seedbed to for root aeration. Harrowing equipment helps in breaking up

lumps of soil in an easy, efficient and fast manner to give a rich finish to the soil, so it can be

used as a seedbed. Disking is an important farm management practice utilized for soil

preparation. It helps in breaking up clods and surface crusts, enhances soil granulation and

surface uniformity and prevent weed growth and destroys already existing weeds (D. Australia.,

2018).

Objectives

This exercise has familiarized the students to primary tillage equipment with focus to the

Moldboard plow which was presented in comprehensive report discussing the implement’s:

1. general function and adaptability 3. method of hitching

2. operation and adjustments 4. method of testing

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5. major parts and specification 6. current market price

Methodology

The students visited the PhilMech and PhilSCAT and has identified different tillage

equipment used in primary tillage. The student then drafted its written report with the help of

reading materials and brochure given by the aforementioned agencies. Several specifications

were gathered from the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES) Book and latter

from the internet for further understanding and information depth about the subject equipment.

Secondary Tillage

Secondary tillage consists of conditioning the soil to meet the different tillage objectives

of the farm. These operations consume less power per unit area compared to primary tillage

operations.

Objectives of Secondary Tillage

 Improve soil tilt and prepare a seedbed.

 Manipulate plant residues and farm wastes.
 Manage water and air in the soil Control weeds and soil-borne insects pests and diseases.
 Establish a surface layer which prevents wind and soil erosion.
Secondary Tillage Implements

 Disc harrow  Reciprocating power harrow

 Spike tooth harrow  Bund Former
 Spring tooth harrow  Ridger
 Acme harrow  Leveller
 Triangular harrow  Power Tiller
 Blade harrow (Bakhar)  Cultivator
 Guntaka

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Harrow

Harrow is a secondary tillage implement that cuts the soil to a shallow depth for smoothening

and pulverizing the soil as well as to cut the weeds and to mix the materials with the soil.

Disc harrow

A disc which performs the harrowing operation by means of a number of sets of rotating

slat discs or disc, each set mounted on a common shaft, mounted on one, two or more axles

which may be set at a variable angle to the line of motion. It cuts the lumps and pulverize the soil

to attain a better soil tilth for the seed germination and growth.

Frame
Three - point
Hitch

Standard

Bumper

Notched Disc Spool

Figure 1 – Disc Harrow and its Components

Main component consists of:

1. Frame
2. Standard
3. Spool
4. Bumper
5. Discs

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Definition of Component Parts

1. concave disc

circular concave steel plate used for cutting and inverting the soil

2. frame

structure on which the gangs are fitted

3. gang

set of concave discs, which is mounted on a common shaft and separated by a spool

4. gang axle

shaft on which a set of concave discs are fitted

5. hitch

portion of an implement designed to connect the implement to the power source

6. spool

flanged tube mounted on gang axle and placed between two discs to prevent the lateral

movement of the discs on the shaft

Classification of Disc Harrow

Disc harrow is classified according to their gang orientation:
1. Single – action
consists of two gangs of discs, placed end-to-end at an angle, which throw the soil
in opposite directions. These are designed for tractors equipped with hydraulic three-
point hitch lift systems

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Tractor-mounted Single-action Disc Harrow

2. Tandem
consists of two or more gangs, in which a set of two gangs follows behind the
front gangs and is arranged in such a way that the discs on the front gangs throw the soil
in one direction (usually outward) and the discs on the rear gangs throw the soil in the
opposite direction

Tractor-mounted Tandem Disc Harrow

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3. Offset
consists of two gangs wherein one gang is located behind the other at an angle
and the harrow is operated in an offset position in relation to the tractor centerline

Tractor-mounted Offset Disc Harrow

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4. Trailing
These are hitched to the drawbar of the tractor and pulled by the tractor. Transport wheels
can be mechanically or hydraulically actuated.

Trailing Tandem Disc Harrows

Offset with Offset with flexible Offset with squadron

rigid gang in-line gang beams arrangement

Adjustment of Operation
The size of the harrow shall be determined by the number and diameter of the discs and

the width of cut. In regards to the disc diameter, there are three different disc harrows:

 Light disc harrows; with a disc diameter of 20-30 cm

 Middle disc harrows, with a disc diameter of 30-50 cm

 Heavy disc harrows, with a disc diameter more than 60cm

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Construction Requirements
The disc harrow shall conform to the following requirements:

Items Requirements

Length, m 2-8
Width, m 1 – 10
Height, m 1 – 1.5

minimum of 2 for offset and single-action

Number of gangs disc harrow minimum of 4 for tandem disc
harrow

Type of Disc plain or notched

Number of disc minimum of 4 in each gang
Diameter of discs, mm 400 to 650 (600 maximum for four disc gang)
Thickness of disc, mm 4 to 6
Concavity (depth), mm 100 to 300
Disc angle, ° 24 maximum
Length of spool, mm 175 or 225 ± 2
Ground clearance, mm 125
Weight per disc*, kg 25 – 70
Drawbar power requirement per disc, kW 1 – 2.5
* It is the total weight of the harrow divided by the number of discs.

Methods of Hitching
The hitch of disc harrow shall be compatible with the hydraulic system and the three-

point hitch of the tractor. In single-action disc harrow, provision may be made for attaching a

shovel or a sweep to cut and uncut the soil between two gangs.

The harrow shall be easy to operate such as:

a. hitching to and unhitching from tractor;

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b. adjusting the depth of cut;

c. changing the position of the harrow with respect to the line of pull of the tractor;

d. moving the standards laterally on the frame;

e. varying the angle between the bodies;

f. maneuverability during operation;

g. clearing blockages;

h. changing from transport to work position and vice versa; and

i. adjustment of the scrapers.

Current Market Price

Go Traktora Trading Inc., Size Price

16 x 24”
Trailing harrow Php 260,000.00
9 x 9 plates
Disc Plow 4 x 24” Php 180,000.00

Moldboard Plow - -

Specifications
Kubota DH245-6F DISC HARROW
Model: DH245 Hitch Type: 3-Point Hitch

Width: 2189mm Weight: 380kg

Depth: 1335mm Lifting Height: 471.6mm

Height: 1058mm Working Depth: 150mm-200mm

Disc Size: 24in Working Width: 1100mm

Number of Disc: 5-6pcs

Mahindra Disc Harrows Specification

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  Offset 12 Offset 14 Offset 16 Offset 18 Offset 20 Offset 22

Disc Disc Disc Disc Disc Disc

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Number of Disc 12 14 16 18 20 22
Type of 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point 3 point
mounting linkage linkage linkage linkage linkage linkage
Disc Dia (mm) 22" or 24" 22" or 24" 22" or 24" 22" or 24" 22" or 24" 22" or 24"
x 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm
Thick Thick Thick Thick Thick Thick
Disc Type Front: Front: Front: Front: Front: Front:
Notched, Notched, Notched, Notched, Notched, Notched,
Rear: Plain Rear: Plain Rear: Plain Rear: Plain Rear: Plain Rear: Plain
Overall: Length 2100 x 2100 x 2100 x 2260 x 2360 x 2460 x
x Width x 1450 x 1700 x 1950 x 2030 x 2260 x 2490 x
Height (mm) 1260 1260 1260 1290 1290 1290
Total Weight 440 464 485 520 555 590
(Approx.) Kgs
Disc Spacing 225 225 225 225 225 225
Maximum 100 to 150 100 to 150 100 to 150 100 to 150 100 to 150 100 to 150
Depth
Width of Cut 1100 1550 2000 2450 2900 3350
(mm)
Suitable HP 35 40 40 50 50 55
Range
Loadability 60 60 60 40 40 30

Existing Disc Harrow in Some Government Agencies in the Philippines

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Disc Harrow from PhilSCAT

Trailing Harrow (Offset with rigid gang type)

This harrow is an implement for PhilSCAT’s Holland tractor, having an estimated power
rating of 90-hp. This is a trailing disc harrow double offset rigid gang and is hydraulic assisted.

Parts of Disc Harrow

1. Main Frame 5. Standard
2. Spool 6. Concave Disc
3. Gauge Wheel 7. Bearing House
4. Scraper 8. Hydraulic/ Hydraulic cylinder

Specification
Dimension: 2300 x 1800 x 1100 mm No. of Disc 14
Working Depth: 200 mm Type of Diisc: Plain/ Trailing type
Working Width: 1600 mm Disc Diameter: 26 inches/600 mm
Lifting Height: 355.6 mm Disc Thickness: 5 mm
Weight: 950 kg Type of Gang: Offset
Power Type: Hydraulic Linkage: draft hitch
Matched Power: 60 – 90 Hp Estimated Price: Php 90,000.00

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Disc Harrow (Offset with rigid gang type)

Parts of Disc Harrow

1. Spool 5. Scrapper
2. Bearing House 6. Standard
3. Main Frame 7. Three-point hitch linkages
4. Concave Disc

Specification
Dimension: 1420 x 860 x 810 mm No. of Disc 14
Working Depth: 120 mm Type of Diisc: Plain
Working Width: 1300 mm Disc Diameter: 26 inches/600 mm
Weight: 220 kg Disc Thickness: 5 mm
Power Type: Draft Type of Gang: Offset
Matched Power: 35 - 40 Hp Linkage: three-point hitch
Estimated Price: Php 63,000.00

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Disc Harrow (Offset with rigid gang type)

Trailing Disc Harrow in Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and

Mechanization (PhilMech).

Parts of Disc Harrow

1. Hydraulic Hose 5. Concave Disc
2. Standard 6. Bearing House
3. Gauge Wheel 7. Spool
4. Scrapper 8. Main Frame

Specification

Dimension: 3200 x 1200 x 850 mm No. of Disc 20

Working Depth: 150 - 200 mm Type of Diisc: Plain/ Trailing type
Working Width: 2200 mm Disc Diameter: 26 inches/600 mm
Lifting Height: 304.8 mm Disc Thickness: 5 mm
Weight: 1250 kg Type of Gang: Offset
Power Type: Hydraulic Linkage: Draft hitch
Matched Power: 75 - 90 Hp Estimated Price: Php 140,000.00

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CONCLUSIONS
Harrow is a secondary tillage implement that cuts the soil to a shallow depth for

smoothening and pulverizing the soil as well as to cut the weeds and to mix the materials with

the soil. Disk harrows is one type of harrow equipment which performs the harrowing operation

by means of a number of sets of rotating slat discs or disc, each set mounted on a common shaft,

mounted on one, two or more axles which may be set at a variable angle to the line of motion. It

cuts the lumps and pulverize the soil to attain a better soil tilth for the seed germination and

growth.

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REFERENCES

Austria, D. (2018). Features and Benefits of Using Disc Harrows in Farming. Medium.
Hajdu, I. (2020). Disc Harrows: Powerful Farm Equipment for Soil Preparation. Agivi.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING STANDARD (PAES)

PAES 131: 2004 Agricultural Machinery – Moldboard Plow – Specifications

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING STANDARD (PAES)

PAES 132: 2004 Agricultural Machinery – Disc/Moldboard Plow – Methods of Test

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