Timber transport in the forest is a very complex operation, and expensive from an energy point of view. Furthermore, in some cases, this operation can be very difficult and dangerous in unfavorable conditions of the road surface, which mainly occur in winter (frozen ground) and in spring (muddy ground). The goal of this study was to develop an innovative transmission hydraulic control system fo...

Tractor hydraulic power is used on a wide range of agricultural implements; however, the availability of operational hydraulic data at points other than full engine throttle position is limited. Operators could utilize this hydraulic data to maximize field efficiency and minimize machinery costs when determining suitable machinery for field operations. A field usable hydraulic test apparatus ca...

Prasanna Kumar G.V. (2015): Geometric performance parameters of three-point hitch linkage system of a 2WD Indian tractor. Res. Agr. Eng., 61: 47–53. Geometric performance parameters of three-point hitch system of a most sold model of a 2-wheel drive Indian tractor were determined by generating the path of upper and lower hitch points by kinematic linkage analysis. At various locations of pivot ...

soil compaction is an important aspect of agriculture and different methods are available to measure this parameter. one method is called the cone index; measuring the force required per unit area for penetration of a standard steel cone into the ground. cone penetrometers are used for cone index measurement. in this study, a tractor mounted, hydraulically-operated penetrometer was designed, bu...

Improved human-tractor interface designs, such as well-accommodated operator enclosures (i.e. cabs and protection frames) can enhance operator productivity, comfort and safety. This study investigated farm-worker anthropometry and determined the critical anthropometric measures and 3-D feature envelopes of body landmarks for the design of tractor operator enclosures. One hundred agriculture wor...

In the new agricultural scenarios, the interaction between autonomous tractors and a human operator is important when they jointly perform a task. Obtaining and exchanging accurate localization information between autonomous tractors and the human operator, working as a team, is a critical to maintaining safety, synchronization, and efficiency during the execution of a mission. An advanced loca...

Introduction Direct energy expenses (diesel, gasoline, propane, electricity) total more than $1 billion annually for Iowa’s farmers. Day-to-day farm management techniques such as adjusting tractor gear and throttle settings or monitoring tractor tire inflation pressures can reduce diesel fuel consumption for row crop production. This study is being conducted over multiple years to measure the e...

Crop protection is mostly carried out spraying active chemical agents with potential impact on the health of environment, operator and consumer. Recently the European Commission played an important role in the protection of the operator with respect to the pesticide contamination during spray application. An active protection offered by tractor cab is a new requirement when the machine is used ...

OBJECTIVES Many childhood farm tractor injuries occur during the performance of work that was assigned by parents, and some tractor work is beyond the developmental capabilities of children. This has been highlighted recently by a policy statement authored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The objective of this study was 1) to assess child development knowledge of farm parents who received...