The construction of soil surface microtopography not only effectively mitigates soil erosion, improves soil structure, and enhances soil ecological functions, but also significantly optimizes the seedbed environment for seedling emergence and crop growth. In this study, targeting the specific characteristics of red-yellow soils in Southern China, a quadrangular frustum-shaped soil surface microtopography processing device was designed and fabricated based on the 2BYG-230 rapeseed seeder. The motion trajectory and force distribution of the device were analyzed using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) software, EDEM, followed by three-factor and three-level orthogonal tests. The results indicated that the order of significance for factors affecting the microtopography formation effect was working load > working speed > microstructure height. Using the formation qualification rate as the evaluation index, the soil disturbance patterns were analyzed to determine the optimal combination of operating parameters: a working load of 260 N, a working speed of 0.34 m/s, and a microstructure height of 42 mm. Under these optimized conditions, the microtopography formation qualification rate reached 93.6%. Furthermore, the seedling emergence rate following the operation of the optimized device was 74.33%, representing a 4.96% increase compared to pre-optimization levels. The optimized processing device designed in this study markedly outperformed its predecessor, creating a soil surface microtopography more conducive to rapeseed growth while demonstrating substantial potential for water and soil conservation and ecological improvement. This research provides theoretical support for enhancing the ecological functions of Southern red-yellow soils and for the structural design of surface microtopography processing equipment.
Ma et al. (Thu,) studied this question.