GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT MACHINERY

Crop residue retention has been recognized worldwide to improve soil structure and fertility, reduce pollution and erosion, and enhance soil water retention/conservation. However, some factors limit the widespread adoption of on-farm machinery that can appropriately manage in-field residue. Two key factors are the quality of residue chopping and spreading uniformity. This article initially summarized the research on blade design, blade arrangement and power consumption. The article classified residue management machinery into three types: single function, multiple function and harvester powered straw chopper/spreader. Single function straw chopper/spreader was further subdivided into four types, according to installation and movement modes of the chopping blade; multiple function straw chopper/spreader was subdivided into six types, according to function and location; harvester powered straw chopper/spreader was subdivided into three types, according to mounting position. To improve the chopped straw spreading uniformity, adding a blower fan and improving blade roller structure were proposed to increase the air velocity. Finally, the article proposed future directions for straw chopper/spreader development, including awareness raising of straw chopping and spreading mechanism, analysis of flow characteristics in the machine, development of straw chopping and spreading regulating device.