Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXI, Issue 2
Written by Dan VIDREAN, Nicușor BOJA, Florin BOJA, Alin TEUŞDEA, Ilie POPESCU
This paper presents the results of our research regarding the usage of ground augers in the forestry sector for drilling holes in order to plant saplings. In order to carry out the research, we settled in two forest divisions in the plains of the West of Romania so that we could have four different types of soils which are representative for that specific area. The objectives of the research were to make a comparative determination, on different types of soil, of the qualitative parameters, among which the most important ones are: timing of drilling holes, fuel consumption for the drilling of the hole, evacuate ratio, degree of evacuation of the soil from the hole, medium range scattering, settlement angle, resistance to penetration, resistance to shearing, degree of scattering of the soil taken out from the hole, degree of loosening of the soil taken and left in the hole, using the Stihl BT 121 auger in order to establish its technical efficiency. In order to observe the influence which, the drilling of holes has on its walls, we measured the resistance to penetration and resistance to shearing every 10 cm at a 30 cm depth, the proper depth for planting small-sized saplings, on two opposing sides, so that we could get the most probable values of these physical-mechanical properties of the soil. We started by measuring the particle size distribution and the main physical properties of the soil (moisture, bulk density and total porosity) and then, we determined the duration of drilling holes, split times (duration of movement from one hole to the other) and the fuel consumption when using a Stihl BT 121 auger equipped with a 150/200 mm diameter drill. The average values for the duration of digging and the fuel consumption for each type of soil was as follows: 1st type of soil - timing 11.7 ± 3.09 sec. and average consumption 4.31 ± 1.14 ml; 2nd type of soil - timing 12.0 ± 3.76 sec. and average consumption 5.75 ± 1.80 ml; 3rd type of soil - timing 12.06 ± 1.99 sec. and average consumption 4.76 ± 0.79 ml; 4th type of soil - timing 9.83 ± 2.52 sec. and average consumption 3.49 ± 0.89 ml (mean ± SD). The usefulness of the present paper stays in the research data collected, processed, analyzed and valorized in order to offer a pertinent study material, which could indeed be used by specialists in designing the process for obtaining, through a mechanized means, the holes for planting small-sized saplings on a horizontal ground, using the Stihl BT 121 auger.
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