Performance Evaluation of Different Furrow Openers for Sustainable Tillage: A Review

Controlled soil disturbance, low draft and vertical force requirements are among the primary characteristics of a practical and efficient furrow opener. The furrow openers should also be capable of maintaining acceptable surface residue retention, precise and uniform seed placement, and regular inter-plant spacing when integrated into a conservation seeding system. The objective of this paper is to study and review various furrow openers based on their performance in terms of soil disturbance, draft requirement, seeding performance, seed emergence, and residue handling ability. The furrow openers that were reviewed included single disc and double disc type, hoe, shoe, shovel, runner, and inverted T type furrow openers. The double disc type is the most effective in terms of soil disturbance, while the single disc type requires the lowest draft force. The hoe and shoe type furrow openers are the most accurate in seed placement, while the double disc and inverted t type furrow openers resulted in the highest seed emergence rates. The inverted T, shovel and runner type furrow openers are effective in residue handling, while the hoe, shoe and double disc type furrow openers struggles in the heavy residue fields. The selection of furrow opener should depend on specific farming needs.