The correct evaluation and prediction of the durability of soil-engaging mechanisms are important factors in the analysis of the agricultural equipments. The wear of these tools (planters furrow openers, chisel and subsoiler rippers) is dependent on various factors, among them the soil conditions and the geometric and constructive characteristics of the tool. The wear rate of the soil-engaging tools is usually determined through loss of mass. The analysis of the variation of the geometric configuration of the tool was assessed through digital photography, afterwards a software was used to design them. The objective of the study was to use a differentiated, agile methodology of easy execution, for evaluation of the wear of soil-engaging tools. In this study furrow openers of a direct drill planter was employed as the soil-engaging tool. The results show that the wear is best determined by the digital photography than the traditional method (loss of mass). The advantage of the proposed method consists basically in its agility and precision.
soil failure; abrasion; digital photograph
