Ponomarenko O.G. Senior Lecturer,

Department of English for technical and agrobiological specialties

Vladyslav Kolesnyk, student of 1-st course,

Faculty of Construction and Design, group - 1401

National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

 

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

The latest inventions in agricultural machinery are highlighted in this article. Using human intelligence and the newest technologies can lead to amazing engineer creations that build our future.

Key words: global positioning system, tractor, telematics, agricultural robot, drone, telematics, mobile apps, autopilot.

Tractors on autopilot. Thanks to GPS tractors, combines, sprayers and other machines can accurately drive themselves through the field. After the user has told the onboard computer system how wide is a path, it will drive a short distance setting A & B points to make a line. Then the GPS system will have a track to follow and it extrapolates that line into parallel lines set apart by the width of the tool in use.

These systems are capable of tracking curved lines as well. The tracking system is tied to the tractor’s steering, automatically keeping it on track freeing the operator from driving. This allows the operator to keep a closer eye on other things. Guidance is great for tillage because it removes human error from overlap, saving fuel and equipment hours [1].

Swath control. Building on GPS technology is swath control. The farmer is controlling the size of the swath through the field. The savings come from using less input like seed, fertilizer, herbicides, etc. Using the GPS mapping, the equipment in the field already knows where it has been. Swath control shuts off sections of the applicator as it enters the overlap area, saving the farmer from applying twice the inputs on the same piece of ground [2].

Telematics. This technology allows equipment to talk to farmers, equipment dealers, and even other equipment. Tractors can even communicate between themselves. The best example is a combine and a grain cart. Grain carts pull up next to harvesting equipment so the harvester can unload on the move without stopping to unload. Telematics can tell the grain cart operator when a combine is filling up with grain. Even better if one cart is chasing two combines. The driver knows which machine needs unloading first. The latest innovation has the combine operator actually taking wireless control of the tractor pulling the grain cart as it pulls alongside, giving him the ability to move the cart forward and backward more easily fill the cart [3].

Weeding robots. Scientists are also developing an agricultural robot for identifying and eliminating weeds. While this might seem like a relatively easy task, it actually requires a lot of machine intelligence to pick out the weeds among the crops. The robot is still in the early stages of development, but the researchers hope that it will ultimately lead to a reduction for herbicides used by farmers and therefore cut costs. This semi-autonomous robot is a navigational platform designed to have different agricultural tools fitted to it to either mechanically remove weeds or precision-spray them with herbicides [4].

Multichannel sprayer. To make tedious plot spraying easier, a multichannel sprayer was developed that is capable of applying 24 different chemicals in a given field location. While it is only for test plots at this point, the technology could be adapted to commercial farming with 10-section, 100-foot booms that would allow variable-rate, site-specific zone applications of chemicals [5].

Tractor with rear tracks. New Holland’s company has presented Smart Trax system which purpose is to give the versatility of a wheeled tractor with the high traction and flotation of rubber tracks. The reduced ground pressure allows earlier access to drying land and gives an ability to work later in the season while reducing the risk of damage to soil structure. The rear tracks are designed to follow the path of the front tires without forming a berm ridge to minimize topsoil disturbance [6].

IPaddock Apps. Farmers from US have released some apps for iOS platform called iPaddock Apps. IPaddock Spray manages the entire farm-spraying program, from planning through to tank filling and record keeping, synchronizing seamlessly across multiple iPads using Apple's free iCloud service.

IPaddockYield gives farmers an accurate forecast of their crop yield during the season based on their rainfall to help them optimize their inputs, cropping programme, grain marketing and insurance with confidence [3].

Fendt Vario 1000 is the biggest front wheel-assist tractor in the world. It has its power rating of 373kW (500hp). This series of models come with a top speed of 60km/h. To help the tractor adapt to various jobs and conditions it is fitted with the integrated tire inflation system, which allows the operator to make on-the-go tire pressure adjustments from the cab. The models are fitted with the world's largest agricultural tires, at 2.35m in diameter [2].

Connect Farm Trimble. Connect Farm Trimble is an information sharing system which integrates all the various precision farming tools across the entire farm. The Connect Farm dashboard is a free web interface, which provides growers with a single location for viewing key information effecting their farming operations. The dashboard manages in-cloud data, eliminating the need for USB storage, and provides growers with access to information from anywhere with an internet connection. This feature is designed to have the machine always operating at maximum capacity and efficiency while still keeping grain quality at it is the best [4].

Agricultural drones. These aircraft are equipped with an autopilot using GPS and a standard point-and-shoot camera controlled by the autopilot. Compared with satellite imagery, it is much cheaper and offers higher resolution. Because it is taken under the clouds, unobstructed and available anytime. Drones can provide farmers with three types of detailed views. First, seeing a crop from the air can reveal patterns that expose everything from irrigation problems to soil variation and even pest and fungal infestations that are not apparent at eye level. Second, airborne cameras can take multispectral images, capturing data from the infrared as well as the visual spectrum, which can be combined to create a view of the crop that highlights differences between healthy and distressed plants in a way that cannot be seen with the naked eye [7].

These drones also can be used as pesticides sprayers. They are much cheaper than using a real aircraft. Moreover, because they can be preliminary programmed and tracked by GPS while spraying it eliminates the human factor.

References:

1.                 http://12most.com/2012/03/12/advanced-agricultural-technologies/

2.                 http://farmindustrynews.com/farm-equipment/10-technologies-changing-farm-machinery

3.                 http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/agmachinery

4.                 http://www.agriculture.com/news/technology

5.                 http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/mypath.cfm?ounid=ob_000073

6.                 http://en.zoomlion-hm.com/en-us/product/nongyejixie.htm

7.                 http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/farm_tech.htm