# Current Status and Future Directions for Combined Tillage and Sowing Technology and Equipment
## 2 Status of Development of Combined Tillage and Sowing Machines
### Combined Multi-Link Tillage and Sowing Machine  
Considerable research has been dedicated to improving the operational processes of agricultural machinery by integrating diverse agricultural production technologies. This collective effort aims to consistently enhance the adaptability and efficiency of combined tillage and sowing machines. Consequently, various combined tillage and sowing machines with varied functionalities have been introduced. These machines are designed to fulfill diverse agricultural production needs through multi-link operation, enabling them to effectively adapt to varying field environments and achieve the versatility and integration of combined planners. The subsoiling and rotary tillage combined planter realizes subsoiling and rotary tillage's multi-linked operation, obtains a high-quality seedbed before sowing, and completes the subsequent sowing operation through the connected planter. The current machine design features a subsoiling shovel installed in the rotary tillage knife roller at the front of the frame, accompanied by a flat soil drag plate or pressing rollers. The subsoiling shovel loosens the middle and lower layers of soil while the rotary tillage knives crush and flatten the surface. Subsequently, the pressing rollers and flat soil drag plate compact the soil, creating an ideal seedbed for subsequent planting operations [3,36]. The 2 BMYFS-16(5)/8(5)-4 is a combined no-tillage fertilizer planter for subsoiling and rotary tillage manufactured by AGRODAHUA. The entire machine structure is depicted in Figure 2a. It features a curved, inverted trapezoidal subsoiling shovel at the front that can perform all-around subsoiling, enhancing moisture retention without disturbing the soil layer. Additionally, it is equipped with a rotary tiller to till the sowing strip, enabling combined functionality. The depths of subsoiling and sowing operations can be adjusted independently and used separately according to production needs, enhancing the machine's adaptability [37]. The 2 BFSG-14 is a combined no-tillage fertilizer spreader designed for subsoiling and rotary tillage, developed by SHENGHE. It integrates a subsoiling machine, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Model/Manufacturer** & **Operating Mode** & **Overall Structure** & **Technical Parameters** \\ \hline Primera DMC seeder/ & Disk harrow and & Working width: 3/4.5/6/9/12 m & \\ AMAZONE [32] & pneumatic sowing & Tractor PTO Requirement: \(\geq\)134 kW & \\ u-drill plus seed & Disk harrow and & Working width: 3/4/6 m & \\ drill/Kvereland [33] & pneumatic sowing & Tractor PTO Requirement: 120/150/194 kW & \\ Centaya Super & Disk harrow and & Working width: 3/3.5/4 m & \\ harmony-mounted seed & Disk harrow and & Tractor PTO Requirement: 82/104/134 kW & \\ drill/AMAZONE [34] & & & Working width: 1.0–3.2 m & \\
2 BMYFQ Air seeder/ & Disk harrow and & Tractor PTO Requirement: 45–112 kW & \\ AGRODAHUA [35] & & & Working width: 1.0–3.2 m & \\  & & & Tractor PTO Requirement: 45–112 kW & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Note: 1. Disk harrow unit; 2. Sowing unit.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Typical equipment for combined disk narrow and sowing machines. rotary filler, and fertilizer spreader to perform multiple operations efficiently. The machine's structure is illustrated in Figure 2b. The planter is equipped with a removable guide plate, allowing for the adjustment of seeding patterns, thereby improving the machine's versatility, expanding its range of applications, and enhancing seeding uniformity and efficiency [38]. The key feature of the subsoiling and rotary tillage combined planter is to prepare the land using a subsoiling shovel and a rotary tillage knife roller. The subsoiling operation typically follows the rotary tillage operation. Initially, the deep loosening shovel breaks the subsoil to enhance soil permeability. Subsequently, the rotary tillage mechanism loosens and breaks up the uneven soil, leveling it to create a high-quality seedbed for subsequent sowing.