The course provides technical and scientific basis on machinery management. It gives a scenario of actual and future available technologies to manage the farm machinery.
Biondi Paolo, Meccanica Agraria. UTET, 1999 Torino
Piccarolo Pietro. La trattrice agricola. REDA 1978, Verona.
Agricoltura di Precisione. Edagricole 2016
Learning Objectives
Knolewdge acquired:
The course provides technical and scientific basis on machinery management. It
gives a scenario of actual and future available technologies to manage the farm machinery. Competence acquired (at the end of the course):
Expert on today and future technologies for agricultural mechanized operations management. Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Skills on design and manage farm machinery management.
Lessons in presence and e-learning MOODLE, laboratory of informatics, exercitations in expositions and farms.
Further information
Students have possibility to access to the e-learning course www.sparkle-project.eu
Type of Assessment
Oral presentation of a project and discussion.
Deep study on a specific case; oral examination.
The test is done with written exercises and oral discussion on the three key areas of the course: a) tractor/equipment coupling assessment ; b) analysis of timing and methods ; c) specific categories of machinery for farming and rural management
Course program
Techniques and Technologies available for agricultural practices with particular reference farm and rural mechanized operations.
New perspective of precision agriculture.
Basis on Physics: measurement units, measurement methods, force-energy and power, velocity, adherence. Passive mechanical resistance: rolling forward, gear, skid.
The farm tractor: typology, architecture, components, equipment coupling and power transmission.
Farm equipment: utensils, control components, machine system, coupling to tractor
(mass and power required).
Yard productivity and Field Capacity. Field operational year calendar. Safety and risk control. Technical choices to reduce cost of machinery use. Field Plant design: technical, territorial and legislative constraints.
Annual maintenance operation on vineyard.
Soil management (ploughing, fertilization ,.weeding..): operations and suitable equipment and yards.
Canopy – plant management (pruning, edging on green, bunching): operations and suitable equipment and yards.
Crop protection
Grape harvest.
Laboratory of informatics: excel, CAD, GIS