The paper proves the scheme and proposes a technique of engineering calculation of the working element for layer-by-layer soil-free tillage in conditions of insufficient moisture. Soil treatment causes significant changes in the volume ratio of the solid, liquid and gaseous phases influencing the chemical, physico-chemical and biological processes, accelerating or slowing down the rate of synthesis and destruction of organic matter. Soil cultivation creates favorable physical conditions for soil fertility. It continues to be one of the most important ways to control weeds, pests and diseases of crops. However, the use of known working elements for soil cultivation does not allow to intensify all the factors ensuring the increase and reproduction of effective fertility. The most effective way to achieve this can be the use of a working organ that decompresses the lower horizons, providing differential crumbling of soil layers, creating a mulch layer on the surface and increasing erosion resistance, i.e. layer-by-layer loosening. This improves the structure of the soil, moisture accumulation and aeration of the root layer, which activates the processes of nitrification and will allow plants to use additional nutrients.

In the arid conditions of the southern regions of Russia, cultivated crops lack moisture. At the same time, agronomically feasible tillage becomes important. Ecological safety of the environment presumes protecting the land resources from possible negative anthropogenic impact. Humus accumulation decreases due to increasing soil compaction. Soil compaction is a type of physical degradation. Soil degradation occurs as a result of excessive loads. Soil compaction is the cause of increasing erosion processes. In the fractured porous massif of the treated soil, moisture loss from the depth of the formation during physical evaporation is detected. Physical evaporation of moisture in arid conditions leads to desiccant soil degradation. Pseudo-compaction of the lower part of the treated layer can occur when loosening only the surface layers, which leads to hydrolysis degradation of chernozem soil. The factors for the development of man-made soil degradation as a result of its processing by tillage tools of various types are studied, and the results of the studies are presented. Recommendations for reducing their impact on cultivated soil horizons have been developed, and working bodies for reducing the negative impact on the soil have been proposed. The feasibility of flat-cutting processing of the surface soil layer and the deepening of the subsoil layer by chisel working bodies is proved.

Many technologies of the agro-industrial complex are associated with the need for a quality blending of two or more components. These include the processes of obtaining biodiesel fuel based on vegetable oils, obtaining aqueous emulsions of fats in the production of mixed fodders. In this process, the most effective is the use of a hydrodynamic mixer, the main design parameters of which are determined in the process of investigation. The design of a nozzle with a variable cross-sectional area is calculated, which allows to control the mixing process. The obtained mathematical dependences quite fully characterize the features of the work and the requirements for the design of the ejector installed in the hydrodynamic mixer to create cavitation with the required intensity.

Polymeric materials are advised to be used in the construction of operating devices for energy-saving soil cultivation. Purpose of work is to develop the design of new operating devices with polymer materials. Development of the design of new operating devices with polymeric materials is carried out by replacing part of the metal parts with ultra-high molecular polyethylene of low density. New operating devices carry out several technological operations in one pass. The design of the new operating device contains a rack with a chisel for deep tillage. The front of the rack is equipped with removable plowshare blades. Clod crusher with a possibility of movement and thrust plate are located at the chisel. In the upper part of the rack the ripper for surface tillage is mounted with the possibility of replacing. Ultra-high molecular polyethylene of low-density was installed on the chisel and clod crusher of the tillage operating device, the thrust plate and the ripper for surface tillage are made entirely of polymeric material. Decrease to 18.28% of draught resistance of the operating device with polymeric materials was established.

The article shows the importance and necessity of energy analysis of both machine technology, as a whole, and machinetechnological aggregates in order to compare several variants of technical solutions of the designed equipment (power units, machines, aggregates) for field cultivation. The necessity of introducing additional energy criteria when designing machine technologies and creating technical means for their implementation is justified.