The analysis of the results obtained in this work, considering the conditions under which it was conducted, allows us to reach the following conclusions. The performance of the toothed coulter in cutting the residue was superior to that of the smooth and notched coulter. The smooth coulter showed the poorest performance among the three coulter types under study in terms of horizontal and vertical draught forces, rolling resistance and residue-cutting capacity. An 80mm working depth was sufficient for the toothed coulter to effectively cut the sugar cane residue. Residue-cutting capacity, represented by the amount of uncut residue, was the attribute showing the clearest differences between coulter types.