The effect of different blades on the performance values of a pruning chopper used to improve soil properties

Chopping is a critical process in recycling of the pruning residues at different forms. Choosing the right blades in machines used for this purpose will positively contribute to obtaining suitable particles and reducing the operation costs. The effects of the three different blade types on the performance values of a on the go machine, which is used in the orchards among intrarows to chop the pruning residues were investigated in this study. The hammer, universal and Y type blades were used in trials for chopping the pruning residues of the pomegranate and orange. In this study, power and energy requirements and average geometric diameters of the chopped residues were determined. Based on the research results, the effect of the blade types used on power consumption of the machine and the particle size was found statistically significant. The maximum power consumption and the smallest particles were identified in the hammer blade for both pruning residues. These values were 22.28 kW - 11.63 mm for pomegranate and 19.29 kW 13.03 mm for orange, respectively. The lowest values, however, were determined in the Y type blade as these values were 13.44 kW - 14.15 mm for pomegranate and 10.44 kW - 17.11 mm for orange. The values obtained from all applications for energy requirement were calculated as 4.24 - 7.07 kWh t(-1) for pomegranate and 4.64 - 8.57 kWh t(-1) for orange.