JP7745286B2 - liquid fertilizer applicator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work machine that applies liquid fertilizer to soil.

The liquid portion of livestock manure, a type of livestock waste whose circulation within rural areas is stagnant, is a resource containing low-cost fertilizer components, and its use in pastures and rice paddies has been explored. However, in field crops where chemical fertilizer inputs are high, the benefits of its use have been limited because conventional application methods result in a low replacement rate for fertilizer components, making it difficult to apply sufficient amounts. Therefore, there is a need to establish a cultivation system that makes maximum use of local organic resources such as livestock manure and allows for fertilizer replacement by introducing new technologies to production sites, centered on high-volume soil application techniques that suppress ammonia volatilization of fertilizer components and enable fertilizer replacement.

Traditionally, slurries and digestate, which are liquid components of livestock manure and its fermentation residues, have been applied to agricultural land by spraying them on the surface using a slurry truck or a tractor-mounted slurry tanker. This method typically applies fertilizer at rates of up to 40 t/ha. Spreading rates greater than this not only volatilize ammonia, the main fertilizer component, but also cause the slurry to pool on the surface and, if the terrain is sloping, flow down the slope and out of the field. For this reason, several techniques for applying liquid fertilizer into the soil using a slurry injector have been proposed.
The implement disclosed in Patent Document 1 can apply liquid fertilizer deep into the soil by inserting slurry into the grooves formed by the two subsoiler blades, but because it applies fertilizer in two fixed-width rows and the mechanism does not allow for adjustment of the amount applied, the amount applied can be uneven, making it difficult to use in agriculture as a substitute for fertilizer.
Patent Document 2 discloses a fertilizing and seeding device using a slurry tanker that enables fertilization and seeding by injecting slurry into the shallow layer of a soil cut section, Patent Document 3 discloses a slurry flow rate control device used with the shallow layer type slurry injector of Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 4 discloses a slurry flow rate control device used with the shallow layer type slurry injectors of Patent Documents 2 and 3. Both are technologies that enable multiple application, but because the insertion depth into the soil is shallow and application is performed using multiple injectors arranged at regular intervals, the width of the machine becomes long and causes problems when the machine is traveling.
Patent Document 5 discloses an apparatus for cutting the soil and scattering livestock manure thereon for subsurface application, while Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 similarly disclose an apparatus for cutting the ground surface and inserting slurry therein.

With these conventional technologies, it is difficult to apply large amounts of liquid fertilizer, such as livestock manure slurry or digested fluid, deep into the soil. Furthermore, there is no disclosure of a structure that allows for flexible adaptation to buried objects such as gravel.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-224909 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-38007 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-38012 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-38013 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-109886

"Small-sized modified shallow-layer slurry injector No. III with high odor suppression and work efficiency," [online], [searched November 20, 2023], Internet: <https://www.naro.go.jp/project/results/laboratory/nilgs/2005/nilgs05-06.html> "Everyone's Agriculture Plaza Home Page > Farming Handbook > Machinery > Soil Preparation > Soil Preparation (1) Compost Spreading," [online], [Retrieved November 20, 2023], Internet: <https://www.jeinou.com/benri/machine/soil/2011/03/311310.html>

The above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following problems.
(1) It does not have a structure that can form multiple spaces in the soil that can apply large amounts of liquid fertilizer such as livestock manure slurry or digested fluid deep into the soil, and whose size, shape, and combination can be adjusted by replacing parts.
(2) The number of rows, spacing, and depth of the application units attached to the implement cannot be set.
(3) The width of the work machine cannot be shortened when moving.
(4) It is not possible to move flexibly to adapt to the terrain, machinery movement, and buried objects such as stones and gravel during work.
(5) It does not have the function of evenly distributing liquid fertilizer, etc. to multiple application units and cutting and breaking down impure solids into smaller particles.

In light of the above current situation, the object of the present invention is to provide an application unit that can be used on buried objects and can apply large amounts of liquid fertilizer deep into the soil, as well as a liquid fertilizer applicator, which is the working machine that deploys the unit.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following configuration.
1) An aspect of the present invention is
A liquid fertilizer applicator that can be attached to and detached from a tractor and applies liquid fertilizer to a field,
an application unit including: a cutting and shaping blade that forms a cavity deep into the soil; a unit holder that is a member fixed to the liquid fertilizer applicator; a link arm rotatably connected to the unit holder about a yaw axis; a first arm that is connectable at one end to the link arm about a pitch axis and is extendable; a second arm that is connectable at one end to the link arm about the pitch axis; a cutting blade arm that is rotatably connected to the second arm at one end and fixed at the other end so that the cutting and shaping blade extends substantially perpendicularly therefrom and is connected to the other end of the first arm by a partial arm extending from the one end side; and a liquid fertilizer insertion pipe that is arranged behind the cutting and shaping blade and applies liquid fertilizer supplied from a tank into the soil;
a frame on which one or more application units can be arranged at any intervals;
The link arm, the first arm, the second arm, and the partial arm are connected in a square shape; and
The first arm is characterized by having an elastic body so that an elastic force acts in the opposite direction when the first arm contracts.
2) In the above aspect,
The shaped cutting blade can be fixed to the cutting blade arm while adjusting the length of the cutting blade extending from the cutting blade arm toward the soil; and
The pitch angle and yaw angle of the frame relative to the tractor can be adjusted by the tractor's hydraulic system, and by adjusting the pitch angle, the construction depth of the forming cutting blade can be adjusted within a range of 0 to 40 cm.
3) In the above aspect,
The partial arm and the first arm are connected by a safety pin; and
When a load exceeding a certain level is applied to the connection between the partial arm and the first arm, the safety pin breaks, and the connection between the cutting blade arm and the first arm is released.
4) In the above aspect,
Each of the one or more cutting and shaping blades disposed on the frame is
The member is an approximately triangular prism having a large base area near its lower end.
The device is comprised of a substantially triangular prism member and a flat plate member provided on the side of the triangular prism member and inclined upward from the front to the rear when the traveling direction is the front, or
The structure is characterized by being composed of an approximately triangular prism member, a flat plate member attached to the lower end of the triangular prism member that slopes upward from the front to the rear, and a gate-shaped member above the triangular prism member that has depth when viewed from the front and whose width narrows toward the rear.
5) In the above aspect,
The application unit is characterized in that it further comprises a soil mulching tool for covering the soil surface of cavities formed in the soil as the application unit advances with soil.
6) In the above aspect,
The frame on which the application unit is placed is provided with a folding fulcrum, and the portion extending to the side of the frame can be rotated vertically upward around the folding fulcrum by a hydraulic system and folded.
7) In the above aspect,
The liquid fertilizer applicator further includes a liquid fertilizer distributor for distributing the liquid fertilizer supplied from the liquid fertilizer tank to a plurality of liquid fertilizer insertion pipes;
The liquid fertilizer distributor comprises a cylindrical distribution container having a bottom surface, a distribution container lid that covers the distribution container, a liquid fertilizer inlet provided on the distribution container lid, a rotating shaft located at the center of the distribution container and rotatable by a motor, a plurality of holes provided on the bottom surface at equal angular intervals around the rotating shaft and at equal distances from the rotating shaft, a plurality of distribution plates that extend from the rotating shaft to near the inner surface of the distribution container and evenly divide the inside of the distribution container, and distribution plate blades provided on the vertical upper edge of each of the distribution plates, and the distribution plates are arranged at an angle of 1 to 30 degrees in the rotational direction from a plane perpendicular to the bottom surface of the distribution container.
8) An aspect of the present invention is
An application unit attached to a liquid fertilizer applicator that is towed by a tractor and applies liquid fertilizer to a field,
A cutting and shaping blade that forms a cavity deep into the soil;
A unit holder attached to the liquid fertilizer applicator;
a link arm connected to the unit holder so as to be rotatable around a yaw axis;
an extendable first arm having one end connected to the link arm so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis;
a second arm having one end connected to the link arm so as to be rotatable around a pitch axis;
a cutting blade arm having one end rotatably connected to the second arm and having the cutting and shaping blade fixed to the other end so as to extend substantially perpendicularly thereto, and having a partial arm extending from the one end side connected to the other end of the first arm;
a liquid fertilizer insertion pipe disposed behind the cutting and shaping blade and for applying liquid fertilizer supplied from a tank into the soil;
The first arm is characterized by having an elastic body so that an elastic force acts when the first arm contracts.
9) In the above aspect,
The partial arm and the first arm are connected by a safety pin; and
When a load exceeding a certain level is applied to the connection between the partial arm and the first arm, the safety pin breaks, and the connection between the cutting blade arm and the first arm is released.
10) In the above aspect,
The present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a soil-covering tool for covering with soil the soil surface of the cavity formed in the soil by the advancement of the shaping cutting blade.

This application unit or liquid fertilizer applicator is compatible with buried objects and makes it possible to apply large amounts of liquid fertilizer deep into the soil.

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view showing the configuration of an application unit according to the present invention as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the application unit when equipped with a coulter. Fig. 2(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front of the cavity formed in the soil by the cutting and shaping blade shown in Fig. 1, (b) is a schematic plan view of the cavity viewed from above the soil, (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front showing the application state when a large amount of liquid fertilizer is applied to the formed cavity, and (d) is a schematic plan view of the same viewed from above the soil. 3A is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the application unit shown in FIG. 1 further including a soil hummer, and FIG. 3B is a schematic plan view of the soil hummer as viewed from above. Fig. 4(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front showing the cavity formed after the application unit shown in Fig. 3 has passed, the applied liquid fertilizer, and the mound of soil. Fig. 4(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the same perspective as Fig. 4(a) when the insertion depth of the cutting and shaping blade is set to be shallow. 5(a), (b), and (c) are schematic side views showing that the mulcher is replaceable and that the angle of the connecting member and the mulcher relative to the cutting blade arm can be freely fixed. Fig. 6(a) is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an application unit having a soil hummer different from that shown in Fig. 3. (b) is a schematic perspective view of the main parts of the soil hummer. (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front showing the cavity formed after the application unit has passed, the applied liquid fertilizer, and the soil mound. (d) is a schematic plan view of these from above. 7A is a schematic front view showing the configuration of an application unit having a cutting and shaping blade in another embodiment, (b) is a schematic side view of the application unit when equipped with a coulter, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cavity formed by the cutting and shaping blade as seen from the front. Figure 8(a) is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the application unit shown in Figure 7, further including the same soil-mounding device as in Figure 3. (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front showing the cavity formed after the application unit has passed, the applied liquid fertilizer, and the mound of soil. 9A is a schematic front view showing the configuration of an application unit having a cutting and shaping blade in another embodiment, (b) is a schematic side view of the application unit when equipped with a coulter, (c) is a schematic plan view of a member near the lower end of the cutting and shaping blade as viewed from above, and (d) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cavity formed by the cutting and shaping blade as viewed from the front. Figure 10(a) is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the application unit shown in Figure 9, which further includes the same mounding tool as in Figure 3. (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front showing the cavity formed after the application unit has passed, the applied liquid fertilizer, and the mound of soil. 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic side views showing how the application unit shown in FIG. 1 avoids stones in the soil. 12(a) and 12(b) are schematic side views showing the application unit shown in FIG. 1 in response to a large stone. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view of a liquid fertilizer applicator equipped with a plurality of cutting blades shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a schematic front view of a liquid fertilizer applicator showing that the number and mounting positions of application units can be adjusted. FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of a liquid fertilizer applicator showing an example of the arrangement of application units taking into consideration the running positions of the tires of a slurry tanker or tractor. FIG. 16 is a schematic front view of a liquid fertilizer applicator when application units having different types of cutting and shaping blades are attached to the liquid fertilizer applicator. FIG. 17 is a schematic front view of the liquid fertilizer applicator, showing the application unit arrangement frame of the liquid fertilizer applicator in a folded state. FIG. 18( a ) is a schematic plan view of the distribution container as viewed from above, and ( b ) is a schematic side view of the liquid fertilizer distributor. FIG. 19(a) is a schematic plan view of a distribution container according to a modified example, and (b) is a schematic plan view of a distribution container according to another modified example. FIG. 20 is a schematic side view of a liquid fertilizer applicator disposed between a tractor and a slurry tanker. FIG. 21 shows the concentration distribution of ammonia nitrogen when liquid fertilizer is applied to the soil using the liquid fertilizer applicator of the present invention. FIG. 22 shows the concentration distribution of ammonia nitrogen when liquid fertilizer is applied by surface spraying using the conventional method. FIG. 23 shows a comparison of the rate of ammonia gas volatilization over time between the soil application of the present invention and the conventional surface application.

A liquid fertilizer application unit 30 attached to a liquid fertilizer applicator M according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Figure 20, the liquid fertilizer applicator M according to the present invention can be connected to a tractor TR and towed, and in this specification, the forward direction F shown in Figure 1 refers to the direction in which the liquid fertilizer applicator M is connected to the tractor TR, i.e., the direction in which it is towed by the tractor (traveling direction). The direction opposite to the forward direction F is referred to as the rearward direction R. The liquid fertilizer applicator M is a working machine for applying liquid fertilizer supplied from a slurry tank TN (see Figure 20) into the soil. The liquid fertilizer applicator has one or more application units. Note that in this specification, liquid fertilizer refers to liquid slurry of manure, which is livestock waste, fermented digestate, which is the fermented liquid thereof, adjusted liquid fertilizer, etc.

FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of the application unit 30 as viewed from the side.
The main components of the application unit 30 are a cutting and shaping blade 10 for forming a cavity in the soil for applying liquid fertilizer, a liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 for applying liquid fertilizer to the cavity, and arms 12, 14, 15, 17 and shafts 81, 82, 85 for flexibly responding to stones and gravel in the soil.
In this specification, one end of each arm refers to the vicinity of the front F end, and the other end refers to the vicinity of the rear R end.

The application unit 30 is connected to the liquid fertilizer applicator M via the unit holder 18. This unit holder 18 is equipped with a yaw axis 85 that can rotate around a vertical axis (see Figure 1(a)). The link arm 17 connected to the yaw axis 85 of the unit holder rotates together with the rotation of the yaw axis 85. When the application unit 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Figure 1(a), the application unit 30 can rotate 90 degrees to the left and right around the yaw axis 85. This angle can also be limited to any angle.

Two arms 14 and 15 are connected to the link arm 17 so as to be rotatable about axes 81 and 82 that are perpendicular to the side of the link arm 17, as can be seen in Figure 1(b). The axis to which one end of the first arm 14 is connected is the first pitch axis 81, and the axis to which one end of the second arm 15 is connected is the second pitch axis 82.

The application unit 30 may have a coulter 16 (not shown in FIG. 1(a)) to facilitate smooth movement of the cutting and shaping blade 10. The coulter 16 is rotatably mounted on the other end of the second arm 15, opposite one end of the second arm 15 rotatably connected to the link arm 17. This rotation axis is referred to as the coulter rotation axis 83.

One end of the cutting blade arm 12 is rotatably connected to the other end of the second arm 15 via the coulter rotation shaft 83. The cutting blade arm 12 is an arm for holding the cutting and shaping blade 10. As shown in Figure 1(b), the cutting and shaping blade 10 may be held via a cutting blade holder 11. The cutting and shaping blade 10 has a number of through-holes 91, and by inserting the fasteners 90 of the cutting blade holder 11 through these through-holes 91, the length by which the cutting and shaping blade 10 protrudes downward from the cutting blade arm 12 can be adjusted. This allows the depth of the cavity formed in the soil S when the application unit 30 is advanced to be adjusted to between 0 and 40 cm.

The cutting blade arm 12 has a partial arm 13 at one end that extends approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the cutting blade arm 12 extends. This partial arm 13 connects the cutting blade arm 12 to the other end of the first arm 17. As a result, the link arm 17, first arm 14, second arm 15, and partial arm 13 are connected in a square shape.

The first arm 14 has an extendable cylinder structure, and the length from the connection point with the link arm 17 to the connection point with the partial arm 13 varies. The first arm 14 has an elastic body 95 so that an elastic force acts in the opposite direction when the first arm 14 retracts. This elastic body may be hollow silicone rubber or a spring. Silicone rubber prevents people or objects from getting caught, improving safety and the reliability of operation by preventing debris from getting caught during installation. If the first arm is cylindrical, it is preferable that the elastic body also be cylindrical. There are no particular restrictions on the location of this extendable structure and elastic body, as long as they can achieve the functions described below. For example, the above-mentioned function can be achieved whether the elastic body 95 is located on the outside or inside of the cylinder structure that makes up the first arm 14.

The liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 communicates with the slurry tank TN (see Figure 20) via a liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21. The liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21 is preferably made of a flexible material. The liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 is positioned behind the cutting and shaping blade 10 to apply liquid fertilizer to cavities in the soil formed by the cutting and shaping blade 10. The liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 is fixed so that its position relative to the cutting blade arm 12 or the cutting and shaping blade 10 does not shift during the liquid fertilizer application operation. The fixed location may be the cutting blade holder 11, the cutting blade arm 12, etc.
As shown in Figure 1 (b), the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 can be positioned by, for example, loosening the tightening screw 22, adjusting the position of the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 and the liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21, and adjusting the length that protrudes downward from the cutting arm 12, thereby adjusting the position at which the liquid fertilizer 40 (see Figure 2) is applied.

The cutting and shaping blade 10A of the application unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 is formed as a substantially triangular prism with a large base area in the vicinity of its lower end as shown in FIG. 1(a).
As the application unit 30 advances through the soil, the cutting and shaping blade 10A forms a vertically elongated cavity in the soil as shown in Fig. 2(a) in a front cross-sectional view viewed from the front. This cavity, formed by the cutting and shaping blade 10A cutting the soil as it advances, is referred to as a cut cavity 41. In a plan view of the soil viewed from above, the top surface of the cut cavity 41 can be seen as the path traveled by the cutting and shaping blade 10A, as shown in Fig. 2(b).

Liquid fertilizer 40 is applied from the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 to the cut cavity 41 formed as shown in Figure 2(a). However, if a large amount of liquid fertilizer 40 is applied to the cavity, the liquid fertilizer 40 will overflow from the cut cavity 41 as shown in Figure 2(c), and the liquid fertilizer 40 will pool on the soil surface, creating a liquid level; in other words, surface pooling 44 will occur. When the area where this surface pooling 44 occurs is viewed from the same perspective as Figure 2(b), it will appear as shown in Figure 2(d). When surface pooling 44 occurs, approximately 10-30% of the ammonia will volatilize from that area even in the short term. Furthermore, if surface runoff occurs due to heavy rain or other factors after application, the liquid fertilizer 40 itself and its components will be washed away, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the application.

In order to prevent such surface water accumulation 44, the application unit 30 preferably has a soil mounding tool 26 for covering the soil surface of the formed cavity with soil, as shown in Figure 3. The soil mounding tool 26 functions to mound the soil surface of the cut cavity 41 formed after the cutting and shaping blade 10 has passed through.
The soil collector 26 shown in Fig. 3 has a deep gate-like shape when viewed from the front, and its width narrows toward the rear. When viewed from above, it has a shape as shown in Fig. 3(b). When viewed from the front, both sides of the gate-like shape may be V-shaped or may extend perpendicular to the top.

The soil hummer 26 is connected by adding a soil hummer arm 24 to the rear R of the cutting blade arm 12. As shown in Figure 3(a), for example, one end of the soil hummer arm 24 is fixed to the screw 22 at the other end of the cutting blade arm 12, and a soil hummer fixing part 25 is fixed to the other end, to which the soil hummer 26 is connected. The soil hummer 26 and soil hummer fixing part 25 form the soil hummer unit 31. The application unit 30 is standardly equipped with the soil hummer unit 31 attached.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the cutting and shaping blade 10A moves through the soil to form a cut cavity 41, and the soil piling tool 26 moves almost simultaneously or immediately after the cut cavity 41, thereby forming a mound of soil 27.
Since both sides of the gate-shaped soil-reducing tool 26 advance through the soil, the mound of soil 27 formed after its passage is square or approximately trapezoidal in front view, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b).

Not only when a small amount of liquid fertilizer 40 is applied relative to the volume of the cutting cavity 41 as in Figure 4(b), but also when a large amount of liquid fertilizer 40 is applied relative to the volume of the cutting cavity 41 as in Figure 4(a) and the liquid fertilizer 40 overflows from the soil surface of the cutting cavity 41, a mound of soil 27 is formed so that the liquid fertilizer is completely covered in the soil.
In this way, the liquid fertilizer 40 is completely buried in the soil S and is not exposed to the air, so that the utilization rate of the nitrogen fertilizer can be increased without volatilizing ammonia, which is a nitrogen fertilizer component, into the air.

The soil piling tool is not limited to the soil piling tool 26 shown in Fig. 3, as long as it can form a mound of soil and prevent the liquid fertilizer 40 from being exposed from the cavity in the soil formed by the cutting and shaping blade 10. The soil piling unit 31 is configured so that the soil piling tool fixed to the soil piling tool fixing part 25 can be replaced (see Fig. 5(a)).
5(b) and 5(c), the angle of the soil accumulating tool arm 24 and the soil accumulating unit 31 relative to the cutting blade arm 12 can be changed by loosening the fasteners 22 and 23.
By firmly tightening the fasteners 22 and 23 at any position, the height of the mound can be forced to be constant. Also, by leaving the fasteners 22 and 23 rotatable around the fasteners 22 and 23 without tightening them tightly, the mound can be constructed while moving the mounding tool along the topography of the ground surface, for example.

Figure 6 shows a modified example in which a soil mounding tool 28 different from the soil mounding tool 26 used in Figure 3 is used. Figure 6(a) differs from Figure 3(a) only in the soil mounding tool fixed before the soil mounding tool fixing part 25.
The soil hummer 28 used in Figure 6 (b) is shallow and bowl-shaped. When viewed from above, the soil is humped on one side of the linearly formed cutting cavity 41, offset from its central axis, to create a mound 29, preventing the liquid fertilizer 40 from leaking and coming into contact with the atmosphere (see Figure 6 (d)). The resulting mound 29 has a cross-sectional front view as shown in Figure 6 (c), and a schematic plan view from above as shown in Figure 6 (d). Furthermore, the bowl-shaped hummer 28 is relatively small and rolls easily, making it less likely to become entangled with harvest residues, such as straw, on the ground surface.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the application unit 30 may be provided with a cutting and shaping blade 10B having a shape different from the above-described cutting and shaping blade 10A.
This cutting and shaping blade 10B is composed of a roughly triangular prism member and a flat plate member attached to the side of the lower part of the triangular prism member, so that the cutting and shaping blade 10 as a whole is L-shaped (see FIG. 7(a)). This flat plate is inclined upward at an angle ranging from 1 to 60 degrees from the front F to the rear R (see FIG. 7(b)). As viewed from the perspective of FIG. 7(a), the width of the flat plate is in the range of 1 to 20 cm, optimally 5 to 7 cm, and the depth is in the range of 5 to 30 cm, optimally 10 to 15 cm.

As the cutting and shaping blade 10B advances through the soil, an L-shaped cavity is formed in the soil as shown in the front cross-sectional view of Figure 10(c) as viewed from the front F. The cavity extending from the surface of the soil S toward the deeper layers is the cutting cavity 41, and the square cavity formed at the bottom lateral side of the cutting cavity 41 is the shaping cavity 42. With the above-mentioned inclination angle of the flat plate, the soil is lifted by about 5 to 10 cm, and the shaping cavity 42 is formed.
Compared with the cavity having only the cutting cavity 41 shown in FIG. 2( a ), the volume of the cavity is increased by the presence of the forming cavity 42 , and the amount of liquid fertilizer 40 to be applied can be significantly increased.

FIG. 8(a) shows a state in which the application unit 30 equipped with the cutting and shaping blade 10B of this embodiment is further equipped with the soil-collecting tool 26 shown in FIG.
In the front cross-sectional view from the front F, a square or approximately trapezoidal mound of soil 27 is formed, which prevents the liquid fertilizer 40 from leaking out of the cavity or from coming into contact with the atmosphere, as explained using Figure 3.

As yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the application unit 30 may be provided with a cutting and shaping blade 10C having a shape different from the above-described cutting and shaping blades 10A and 10B.
This cutting and shaping blade 10C is composed of a generally triangular prism-shaped member at its center, a flat plate member at the bottom end of the triangular prism that slopes upward from front to rear, and a gate-shaped member above the plate that has depth when viewed from the front and whose width narrows toward the rear. Figure 9(a) shows the cutting and shaping blade 10C as viewed from the front, Figure 9(b) shows a side view, and Figure 9(c) shows a plan view. The gate-shaped member has a front width of approximately 20 to 50 cm, optimally 30 to 40 cm, a rear width of approximately 15 to 30 cm, optimally 20 to 30 cm, a depth of 20 to 50 cm, optimally 30 to 40 cm, and a height of 5 to 15 cm, optimally 5 to 10 cm, as viewed from the perspective of Figure 9(a).

As the cutting and shaping blade 10C advances through the soil, the flat members of the cutting and shaping blade 10C lift up the soil, forming a cavity. Above the cavity, i.e., below the lifted soil, gate-shaped members push the soil from both sides toward the center to fill it.
As a result, in the front cross-sectional view seen from the front F shown in Figure 10(d), forming cavities 43 are formed below the cutting cavity 41, i.e., in the part of the cavity initially formed by the flat plate member that was not filled with the accumulated soil, and further forming cavities 43 are formed on both sides of the cutting cavity 41, i.e., in the space where the accumulated soil was located and through which the gate-shaped member passed. As shown in the figure, these cavities are connected to each other, so that when liquid fertilizer 40 is applied near the soil surface of the cutting cavity 41, the liquid fertilizer enters each of the cavities 41, 43.

By forming more shaping cavities 43 than those formed by the cutting and shaping blade 10B shown in Figure 7(c), it is possible to apply a larger amount of liquid fertilizer at a deeper depth. While the usual application rate is 2 to 4 t/10a, this can be increased to a maximum of approximately 15 t/10a. Furthermore, the shape of each shaping cavity 43 is maintained by the strength of the soil's block structure, ensuring a sufficient amount of liquid fertilizer 40 can be applied.

Figure 10(a) shows an application unit 30 equipped with the cutting and shaping blade 10C of this embodiment, further equipped with the soil mounding tool 26 shown in Figure 3. As described above, a square or approximately trapezoidal mound of soil 27 is formed in the front cross-sectional view from the front F (see Figure 10(b)), preventing the liquid fertilizer 40 from leaking out of the cavity and preventing the liquid fertilizer 40 from coming into contact with the atmosphere. This prevents ammonia, a nitrogenous fertilizer component, from volatilizing into the atmosphere and prevents runoff due to rainfall, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the nitrogenous fertilizer component by approximately 30 to 50% compared to surface application of the same amount of liquid fertilizer 40.

The structure of the application unit 30, which can flexibly deal with buried objects such as stones and gravel in the soil, will be described using Figure 11. Figure 11 shows an example using the cutting and shaping blade 10A shown in Figure 1, but the following description also applies to other cutting and shaping blades 10.
Dealing with stones and gravel is achieved by yaw rotation about the yaw axis 85 and pitch rotation about the other axes 81, 82, and 83 described above.

First, the entire application unit 30 rotates left and right from the front F by yaw rotation about the yaw axis 85 having a vertical axis so as not to resist the force applied by collision with stones or gravel, thereby avoiding stones or mitigating the impact. Note that the same behavior occurs when the coruter 16, rather than the cutting and shaping blade 10, collides with stones or gravel.
Considering that multiple application units 30 are attached to the liquid fertilizer applicator M, it is preferable to limit rotation around this yaw axis 85 to approximately 45 degrees to the left and right from the front F in a planar view in order to avoid contact between the application units 30.

Next, when the cutting and shaping blade 10 collides with a stone PS, which is a buried object in the ground, due to pitch rotation around the first pitch axis 81, the second pitch axis 82, and the coulter rotation axis 83 (see Figure 11(a)), from the perspective of Figure 11(b), the cutting blade arm 12 rotates to the left around the coulter rotation axis, and the cutting blade arm 10 is lifted upward so as not to resist the force applied by the collision with the stone PS.
Furthermore, the behavior of the cutting blade arm 10 lifting upward to avoid impact with the stone PS is also achieved by the first arm 14 rotating left around the first pitch axis 81 and the second arm 15 rotating left around the second pitch axis.
In this way, the arms 14, 15, 12 rotate around the axes 81, 82, 83, respectively, thereby avoiding stones and gravel.

When the coulter 16 comes into contact with stones or gravel, the first arm 14 and the second arm 15 rotate, causing the coulter 16 to lift upward, i.e., the entire application unit 30 to lift up.

As mentioned above, the extendable first arm 14 can be equipped with an elastic body 95. When the cutting and shaping blade 10 comes into contact with the stone PS and the cutting blade arm 12 begins to rotate counterclockwise around the coulter rotation axis 83, the first arm contracts, and an elastic force from the elastic body 95 acts in the direction of extending the first arm 14, thereby mitigating the impact associated with contact with the gravel.

The rectangular connection of each arm 12, 14, 15, 17 allows the corta 16 or cutting and shaping blade 10 to move up and down together with the cutting blade arm 12 when it encounters resistance due to unevenness of the land, topography, soil density, gravel, etc., and furthermore, the elastic body 95 prevents sudden movement, ensuring stable operation of the entire application unit 30.
This flexible response to buried objects such as stones and gravel prevents damage caused by collisions not only to the application unit 30 but also to the liquid fertilizer applicator, and also prevents any impact on the tractor TR and slurry tank TA.

Using FIG. 12, we will explain how the application unit 30 responds when the buried object obstructing the progress of the application unit is an even larger boulder PB.
In the application unit 30, the connection between the partial arm 13, which is a part of the cutting blade arm 12, and the first arm 14 can be made by a safety pin 19 (see FIG. 12(a)). The safety pin 19 breaks when a load of a certain level or more is applied to the connection between the partial arm 13 and the first arm 14, such as when a load of a certain level or more is applied in the direction of retracting the first arm 12 described above.
When a boulder PB collides with the cutting and shaping blade 10, the cutting and shaping blade 10 rises as described above, and the first arm 17 contracts, the elastic force of the elastic body 95 acts to mitigate the impact, but if the range of motion of the arms when connected is not enough to completely avoid the boulder PB, or if the impact from the collision with the boulder PB is excessively strong, the safety pin 19 breaks and the connection between the cutting blade arm 12 and the first arm 14 is released (see Figure 12 (b)).

When the safety pin 19 breaks and the cutting blade arm 12 is free to move relative to the first arm 14, the cutting and shaping blade 10 and coulter 16 can easily be raised to the ground surface without resisting the force from the boulder PB (see Figure 12(b)), preventing damage to the application unit 30, liquid fertilizer applicator M, and tractor TR due to a collision with the boulder PB.

When the corta 16, rather than the cutting and shaping blade 10, collides with the boulder PB, if the impact is excessively strong, a strong impact may be applied to the connection between the partial arm 13 and the first arm 14 without causing the first arm 17 to retract. In this case, the safety pin 19 will break, releasing the connection between the cutting blade arm 12 and the first arm 14.

The liquid fertilizer applicator M to which the application unit 30 described above is attached will be described below.
The liquid fertilizer applicator M has a frame, and this frame mainly includes a three-point link connection frame 50, which is a subframe for connecting to the tractor TR by a so-called three-point link, and an application unit arrangement frame 51, which is a subframe for mounting the application unit 30.
The tanker connection frame 77 for connecting the slurry tankers is included (see FIG. 20). Each sub-frame is for convenience of explanation, and may be fabricated separately or may be fabricated as a whole or a part integrally.

Figure 13 is a schematic front view of the liquid fertilizer applicator M. As shown in the figure, the application unit arrangement frame 51 extends left and right. It may extend perpendicular to the forward direction F, or it may extend downward toward the rear as it goes left and right. The application units 30 can be attached to this application unit arrangement frame 51 at any spacing and position within the range of 1 to 10 units. Figure 13 shows an example in which five application units 30 are attached to each side. Figure 14 shows an example in which four application units 30 are attached to the application unit arrangement frame 51 on the left side of the figure, and three application units 30 are attached to the right side. The application units 30 may be attached asymmetrically as shown in the figure. In extreme cases, only one application unit 30 can be attached at any position. Preferably, the distance from the center of the cutting and shaping blade 10 to the center of the adjacent cutting and shaping blade 10 is set to approximately 60 to 120 cm.

In Figure 15, the position of the tires 54 of the tractor TR or slurry tanker TA in a front view is shown imaginarily by two-dot chain lines. The application unit 30 may be mounted on the application unit mounting frame 51 so as to avoid the running area of the tires 54. This prevents the running area of the tires 54 from interfering with the cavity formed by the cutting and shaping blade 10 or the mound of soil formed by the soil collector.

The application units 30 mounted on the application unit arrangement frame 51 may be equipped with any cutting and shaping blade 10, and do not all have to be the same cutting and shaping blade 10. Therefore, as shown in Figure 16, a mixture of application units 30 equipped with any of the three types of cutting and shaping blades 10 exemplified above may be mounted. When the application unit 30 is equipped with a soil accumulator, the cutting and shaping blade 10 can be combined with any type of soil accumulator.
Typically, the width of the approximately triangular prism member of cutting and shaping blade 10A is about 5 cm, the width of the gate-shaped member of cutting and shaping blade 10C is about 25 cm, and the flat members of cutting and shaping blade 10B and cutting and shaping blade 10C are installed in the soil to a depth of about 10 to 30 cm. As the liquid fertilizer applicator M equipped with multiple types of cutting and shaping blades 10 moves forward, various cavities are formed in the soil.

The application unit placement frame 51 has folding fulcrums 52 near the midpoints on each of its left and right sides so that it can be folded when traveling on public roads, etc. (See Figure 13). To achieve this folding operation, it is equipped with folding hydraulic cylinders 53 that can be extended and retracted using the hydraulic system of the tractor TR. Figure 17 shows the application unit placement frame 51 in its folded state when the folding hydraulic cylinders 53 are retracted.

The liquid fertilizer applicator M may have a liquid fertilizer distributor 59 for distributing liquid fertilizer supplied from the slurry tank TN to the application unit 30 (see Figures 13 and 20).
The liquid fertilizer distributor 59 is connected to the slurry tank TN via a transport pipe 71 , and is connected to the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 of the application unit 30 via a liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21 .

The liquid fertilizer distributor 59 will be described with reference to Figure 18. As shown in Figure 18(b), the liquid fertilizer distributor 59 includes a distribution container 60 and a distribution container lid 63 that covers the distribution container 60. The distribution container 60 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom surface 61.
The transport pipe 71 is connected to a hole opened at the center of the distribution container lid 63, and the liquid fertilizer 40 is poured from the slurry tank TN into the distribution container 60 by its own weight.
At this time, the distribution container lid 63 and the distribution container 60 are tightly sealed with, for example, a distribution container lid fastener 64 to prevent the liquid fertilizer 30 from leaking from the distribution container 60.

As shown in Figure 18(a), the interior of the distribution container 60 is equipped with a rotating shaft 66 that can be rotated by a motor 65 (see Figure 18(b)) located on the underside of the distribution container 60, multiple holes 62 located at equal angular intervals around the rotating shaft 66 and equidistant from the rotating shaft in the bottom surface 61, multiple distribution plates 68 that extend from the rotating shaft 66 to near the inner surface of the distribution container 60 and evenly divide the interior of the distribution container 60, and distribution plate blades 67 located on the vertically upper edge of each distribution plate 68, i.e., on the edge near the liquid fertilizer inlet 69. The distribution plates 68 and distribution plate blades 67 may be manufactured as a single unit or as separate components. It is preferable that the number of distribution plates is equal to the number of holes 62. Even more preferably, the number of holes 62 is equal to the number of liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20.

Each distribution plate 68 is tilted at an angle of approximately 1 to 30 degrees in the direction of rotation from a plane perpendicular to the bottom surface of the distribution container 60. Therefore, the side of the distribution plate 68 can be seen in a plan view, as shown in Figure 18(a).

The liquid fertilizer distributor 59 and the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 are connected by a liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21. One end of each liquid fertilizer distribution hose 21 connected to each liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 provided in each application unit 30 is installed in the respective hole 62 as shown in Figure 18 (b).

As the rotating shaft 66 rotates, the distribution plate 68 rotates, and the angled distribution plate blades 67 cut off impurities in the liquid fertilizer 40 injected from the liquid fertilizer injection port 69. This rotational action causes an even amount of liquid fertilizer 40 to flow into the distribution container 60 separated by the distribution plate, and then into each liquid fertilizer distribution hose 36 through each hole 62 in the bottom surface 61.

The distribution container lid 63 is provided with a transparent container window 70 that allows the interior of the distribution container 60 to be seen (Figure 18(b)). This allows the rotation of the rotating shaft 66, the state of the liquid fertilizer 40 being cut, and the distribution status of the liquid fertilizer 40 to be confirmed. For example, a container window 70 of approximately the size shown in the figure can be provided at the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in Figure 18(a).

In the example shown in Figure 18(a), six holes 62 are provided, and the internal space of the distribution container 60 is divided into six sections by six distribution plates 68. In this case, it is assumed that it will be used mainly for a total of six liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20 provided in each of the six application units 30 attached to the application unit arrangement frame 51 as shown in Figure 16.

As a variation of this, the example shown in Figure 19(a) shows an example in which eight holes 62 are provided and the internal space of the distribution container 60 is divided into eight sections by eight distribution plates 68. In this case, it is mainly assumed that it will be used for a total of eight liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20 provided in each of the total eight application units 30 attached to the application unit arrangement frame 51 as shown in Figure 15.

As another variation, the example shown in Figure 19(b) shows an example in which four holes 62 are provided and the internal space of the distribution container 60 is divided into four sections by four distribution plates 68. In this case, it is assumed that it will be used mainly for a total of four liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20 provided in each of the four application units 30 attached to the application unit arrangement frame 51.

The above-described structure of the liquid fertilizer distributor 59 provides the functions of evenly distributing the liquid fertilizer 40 etc. to the plurality of application units 30 and cutting and breaking down impure solids into smaller particles.
The liquid fertilizer distributor 59 itself can be widely used in devices that distribute liquid fertilizer containing impurities to a plurality of pipes, and can be used regardless of the size of the device.

Figure 20 shows the liquid fertilizer applicator M equipped with the application unit 30 connected to a tractor TR at the front and to a slurry tanker TA at the rear. By being equipped with the above-described frames 50 and 51, the liquid fertilizer applicator M of the present invention can be connected to existing slurry tankers and existing tractors without any problems.

The liquid fertilizer applicator M and the tractor TR are connected by a three-point link so that the relative position of the liquid fertilizer applicator M to the tractor TR can be displaced up, down, left, and right using the hydraulic system of the tractor TR.
This allows for control of the attitude of the liquid fertilizer applicator M, particularly the application unit arrangement frame 51, when the liquid fertilizer applicator M is advanced by being towed by the tractor TR, and allows for fine adjustment of the horizontality and inclination to maintain an appropriate position of the cutting and shaping blade 10. Specifically, the insertion portion of the cutting and shaping blade 10 can be finely adjusted by displacing the liquid fertilizer applicator M left and right, and the insertion depth of the cutting and shaping blade 10 can be adjusted by displacing it up and down.

When setting up the liquid fertilizer application, the expected insertion depth of the cutting and shaping blade 10, i.e., the depth of the cavity formed as it progresses through the soil, can be determined by the fixed position of the cutting and shaping blade 10 within the cutting blade holder 11. During actual application, the attitude of the liquid fertilizer applicator M can be controlled to make fine adjustments as needed to maintain the expected insertion depth.

The slurry tank TN and the liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20 of the application unit 30 are connected to each other. As an example of the connection, the rear lower part of the slurry tank TN is usually equipped with a member for spraying liquid fertilizer (not shown), but this can be removed and replaced with a transport pipe 71 that extends to the top of the tank via a connection hose unit, and from there to the front F via a connection unit 75. A liquid fertilizer distributor 59 is then installed via the connection unit 75, and from there it is connected to each liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 20 via liquid fertilizer distribution hoses 21. Liquid fertilizer is sent from the slurry tank TN to the liquid fertilizer insertion pipes 20 in this manner.

The liquid fertilizer applicator M can be towed and move forward, and can create cut or formed cavities in the soil to deep layers so that liquid fertilizer can be applied deep into the cultivated soil and the layer just below the cultivated soil.This allows liquid fertilizer to be easily applied in any amount so that the inserted liquid fertilizer is not exposed to the surface of the ground.In addition, not only the depth but also the application interval and number of liquid fertilizer applications can be changed to improve application efficiency and practical usefulness taking into account the tire widths of various tractors and slurry tankers.
In addition, the soil mounding tool located at the rear end of the application unit covers the liquid fertilizer insertion port with soil immediately after application, preventing the liquid fertilizer from being exposed to the surface and preventing the evaporation or volatilization of ammonia, the main fertilizer component, as well as preventing uneven distribution and runoff of the liquid fertilizer due to topography, preventing the liquid fertilizer from flowing out of the farmland due to surface runoff and preventing the loss of phosphate, base, etc. As a result, it is possible to apply large amounts of liquid fertilizer to the soil and achieve uniform application of the amount.
Furthermore, the liquid fertilizer applicator of the present invention can be connected to existing or ready-made tractors or slurry tankers, allowing farmers to easily apply fertilizer using the liquid fertilizer applicator of the present invention, contributing to strengthening the fertility of farmland, which is the site of agricultural production.By increasing the substitution rate of fertilizer components using liquids such as slurry liquid from livestock manure (manure), fermented digestate (fermented digestate), and adjusted liquid fertilizer, it is possible to contribute to the realization of environmentally friendly, local recycling-based agriculture.

[Example 1]
Examples of the present invention are given below.
The liquid fertilizer 40 was applied deep into the soil using the liquid fertilizer applicator M with the application unit 30 shown in Figure 7, and the concentration distribution of ammonia nitrogen in the soil during deep soil application was measured. The cross-sectional distribution diagram of the components is shown in Figure 21.
The test conditions are as follows:
・Test date: November 29, 2021 ・Test location: Kuroboku soil field (wheat field) at the Rural Engineering Research Division, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Tractor used: Kubota SL38 38 horsepower wheel tractor Work machine used: For the test trial, test application was carried out using a liquid fertilizer applicator M equipped with only one application unit 30 having a cutting and shaping blade 10B. A trench digger with an L-shaped blade and a surf unit of the Cut Drain Mini was used.
・Liquid fertilizer used: Methane fermentation digestate (livestock manure, food waste)
Ammonia nitrogen concentration: 0.2%
・Planned application depth: Approximately 20-25cm ・Application amount: 3.4t/10a
Chemical fertilizer (nitrogen equivalent): 6.8 kgN/10a

As shown in Figure 21, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the soil application area was higher the deeper the soil was, and in the surface layer at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, liquid fertilizer 40 was applied underground without being exposed. Furthermore, it appears that the ammonia component did not move from the application area to the surrounding area immediately after application, and was retained in the application area.

[Example 2]
Assuming a liquid fertilizer applicator M having the application unit 30 shown in Figure 3, a deep soil application area of liquid fertilizer 40 was set up, and the amount of ammonia gas volatilized from the ground surface after liquid fertilizer application was measured.The results are shown in Figure 23 as the calculated ammonia gas rate.
The test conditions are as follows:
・Test date: November 7, 2022 ・Test location: Kuroboku soil field in Hokkaido (dent corn)
・Tractor used: Kubota M7 132 horsepower wheel tractor ・Work equipment used: For on-site demonstration testing, a liquid fertilizer applicator M equipped with eight application units was used. ・Liquid fertilizer used: Methane fermentation digestate (livestock manure, food waste)
Ammonia nitrogen concentration: 0.2%
・Amount of application: 3.4t/10a (same amount for both surface application area and soil application area)
Chemical fertilizer (nitrogen equivalent): 6.8 kg N/10a

As shown in Figure 24, the ammonia gas volatilization rate in the subsurface application area where liquid fertilizer 40 was applied using the liquid fertilizer applicator M according to the present invention was zero. This shows that applying liquid fertilizer 40 subsurface to the soil and completely sealing it with soil can suppress ammonia gas volatilization.

[Comparative Example 1]
The liquid fertilizer 40 was sprayed on the surface of the soil, assuming the conventional surface spraying method, and the distribution of ammonia nitrogen in the soil was measured. The cross-sectional distribution diagram of the components is shown in FIG.
The test conditions are as follows:
・Test date: November 29, 2021 ・Test location: Kuroboku soil field (wheat field) at the Rural Engineering Research Division, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Application method: Manual application Liquid fertilizer used: Methane fermentation digestate (livestock manure, food waste)
Ammonia nitrogen concentration: 0.2%
Application location: Surface application to the ground surface Application amount: 3.4 t/10 a (same amount for both surface application and underground application)
Chemical fertilizer (nitrogen equivalent): 6.8 kg N/10a

As shown in Figure 22, the highest concentration of ammonia nitrogen in conventional surface application was in the surface layer, 0 to 10 cm deep from the application site, with most of it being on the surface. Immediately after application, there was no movement of nutrients to the lower layers, creating conditions that favored the volatilization of ammonia gas.

As shown in Figure 23, the ammonia gas volatilization rate in the conventional surface application area is high after application and, although it gradually decreases, continues for a relatively long time. As long as liquid fertilizer 40 is present on the ground surface, ammonia gas volatilization continues, contributing to the reduction of nitrogen components.

The presence or absence, location, and relative positioning of each component in the liquid fertilizer application device and application unit, the piping method between each component, the piping materials, and the method of securing the liquid fertilizer insertion pipe are all examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as long as the objectives of the invention can be achieved. Combinations of the liquid fertilizer application unit, cutting and shaping blades, and soil-piling tools disclosed above are also considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as long as they are included in the claims.

M Liquid fertilizer applicator S Soil PS Stone PB Boulder TA Slurry tanker TN Slurry tank TR Tractor 10 Cutting and shaping blade 10A Cutting and shaping blade 10B Cutting and shaping blade 10C Cutting and shaping blade 11 Cutting blade holder 12 Cutting blade arm 13 Partial arm 14 First arm 15 Second arm 16 Corta 17 Link arm 18 Unit holder 19 Safety pin 20 Liquid fertilizer insertion pipe 21 Liquid fertilizer distribution hose 22 Fastening screw 23 Fastening screw 24 Soil piler arm 25 Soil piler fixing part 26 Soil piler 27 Soil pile 28 Soil piler 29 Soil pile 30 Application unit 31 Soil piler unit 40 Liquid fertilizer 41 Cutting cavity 42 Forming cavity 43 Forming cavity 44 Surface water retention 50 Three-point link connection frame 51 Application unit arrangement frame 52 Folding fulcrum 53 Folding hydraulic cylinder 54 Tire 59 Liquid fertilizer distributor 60 Distribution container 61 Bottom surface 62 Hole 63 Distribution container lid 64 Distribution container lid fastener 65 Motor 66 Rotation shaft 67 Distribution plate blade 68 Distribution plate 69 Liquid fertilizer injection port 70 Container window 71 Transport pipe 75 Connection unit 77 Tank connection frame 81 First pitch axis 82 Second pitch axis 83 Corter rotation axis 85 Yaw axis 90 Fastener 91 Through hole 93 Safety pin hole 94 Safety pin hole 95 Elastic body F Front R Rear

Claims (10)

A liquid fertilizer applicator that can be attached to and detached from a tractor and applies liquid fertilizer to a field,
an application unit including: a cutting and shaping blade that forms a cavity deep into the soil; a unit holder that is a member fixed to the liquid fertilizer applicator; a link arm rotatably connected to the unit holder about a yaw axis; a first arm that is connectable at one end to the link arm about a pitch axis and is extendable; a second arm that is connectable at one end to the link arm about the pitch axis; a cutting blade arm that is rotatably connected to the second arm at one end and fixed at the other end so that the cutting and shaping blade extends substantially perpendicularly therefrom and is connected to the other end of the first arm by a partial arm extending from the one end side; and a liquid fertilizer insertion pipe that is arranged behind the cutting and shaping blade and applies liquid fertilizer supplied from a tank into the soil;
a frame on which one or more application units can be arranged at any intervals;
The link arm, the first arm, the second arm, and the partial arm are connected in a square shape; and
A liquid fertilizer applicator, wherein the first arm is provided with an elastic body so that an elastic force acts in the opposite direction when the first arm contracts. The shaped cutting blade can be fixed to the cutting blade arm while adjusting the length of the cutting blade extending from the cutting blade arm toward the soil; and
The pitch angle and yaw angle of the frame relative to the tractor can be adjusted by the tractor's hydraulic device, and the application depth of the shaping cutting blade can be adjusted in the range of 0 to 40 cm by adjusting the pitch angle. Liquid fertilizer applicator according to claim 1. The partial arm and the first arm are connected by a safety pin; and
A liquid fertilizer applicator as described in claim 2, characterized in that when a load greater than a certain level is applied to the connection point between the partial arm and the first arm, the safety pin breaks and the connection between the cutting blade arm and the first arm is released. Each of the one or more cutting and shaping blades disposed on the frame is
The member is an approximately triangular prism having a large base area near its lower end.
The device is comprised of a substantially triangular prism member and a flat plate member provided on the side of the triangular prism member and inclined upward from the front to the rear when the traveling direction is the front, or
The liquid fertilizer applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that it is composed of an approximately triangular prism member, a flat plate member attached to the lower end of the triangular prism member that slopes upward from the front to the rear, and a member above the triangular prism member that has a deep gate shape when viewed from the front and whose width narrows as it goes rearward. The liquid fertilizer applicator described in claim 4, characterized in that the application unit further includes a soil mulching device for covering the soil surface of cavities formed in the soil as the application unit advances. The liquid fertilizer applicator described in claim 1, characterized in that the frame on which the application unit is positioned has a folding fulcrum, and the portion extending laterally of the frame can be rotated vertically upward around the folding fulcrum by a hydraulic system and folded. The liquid fertilizer applicator further includes a liquid fertilizer distributor for distributing the liquid fertilizer supplied from the liquid fertilizer tank to a plurality of liquid fertilizer insertion pipes;
The liquid fertilizer distributor has a cylindrical distribution container having a bottom surface, a distribution container lid that covers the distribution container, a liquid fertilizer inlet provided on the distribution container lid, a rotating shaft located at the center of the distribution container and rotatable by a motor, a plurality of holes provided on the bottom surface at equal angular intervals around the rotating shaft and equidistant from the rotating shaft, a plurality of distribution plates extending from the rotating shaft to near the inner surface of the distribution container and evenly dividing the inside of the distribution container, and distribution plate blades provided on the vertical upper edge of each of the distribution plates, characterized in that the distribution plates are arranged at an angle of 1 to 30 degrees in the rotational direction from a plane perpendicular to the bottom surface of the distribution container. An application unit attached to a liquid fertilizer applicator that is towed by a tractor and applies liquid fertilizer to a field,
A cutting and shaping blade that forms a cavity deep into the soil;
A unit holder attached to the liquid fertilizer applicator;
a link arm connected to the unit holder so as to be rotatable around a yaw axis;
an extendable first arm having one end connected to the link arm so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis;
a second arm having one end connected to the link arm so as to be rotatable around a pitch axis;
a cutting blade arm having one end rotatably connected to the second arm and having the cutting and shaping blade fixed to the other end so as to extend substantially perpendicularly thereto, and having a partial arm extending from the one end side connected to the other end of the first arm;
a liquid fertilizer insertion pipe disposed behind the cutting and shaping blade and for applying liquid fertilizer supplied from a tank into the soil;
An application unit, characterized in that the first arm is provided with an elastic body so that an elastic force acts when the first arm is contracted. The partial arm and the first arm are connected by a safety pin; and
The application unit described in claim 8, characterized in that when a load greater than a certain level is applied to the connection point between the partial arm and the first arm, the safety pin breaks and the connection between the cutting blade arm and the first arm is released. 10. The application unit according to claim 9, further comprising a soil mulching tool for covering with soil a soil surface of a cavity formed in the soil by the advancement of the shaping cutting blade.