Effects of Spring-tine Settings and Operational Conditions on the Mechanical Performance of a Weed Harrow Tine

Results showed that different tine settings and operational conditions and their interaction with soil type and tine location have different responses on certain weeding and tine parameters. High selectivity requires minimising the tine upward and lateral movements, preserving a constant penetration depth and a constant distance from crops. This could be ensured by a low speed, a thin tine and a trailing or vertical tine orientation for a constant depth and trailing or leading tine orientation for constant distance from crops. However, effective weed uprooting would require a high speed, a deep penetration, standard thick tine and a leading tine orientation. As the high selectivity and high effectivity requirement need different tine settings, optimisation of the weed harrow depends on intended effects.