Innovative Design and Application of Modern Agricultural Machinery Systems in Cropping Systems

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 2578

Special Issue Editors


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Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Interests: discrete element method (DEM); agricultural machinery design; tillage; soil mechanics
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Guest Editor
Department of Biomechatronics Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung County 91201, Taiwan
Interests: artificial intelligence; mechatronics; internet of things; edge computing; signal processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In modern societies, an ample food supply remains a critical challenge. Projections from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggest a staggering 70% increase in the global food demand by 2050. To meet this demand, it is crucial to improve agricultural machinery for sustainable farming, which serves as a cornerstone via the enabling of large-scale crop cultivation, which is essential for feeding our growing population. However, the efficiency and productivity of broadacre farming both heavily depend on the utilized machinery systems. Different mechanical systems are used in various types of cropping systems, including monoculture, multicropping, contour cropping, strip cropping, shifting cultivation, and intercropping. There is an urgent need for innovative and common mechanical systems to meet the growing global demands. The rising costs of energy, fertilizers, chemicals, and labor only add to the urgency, thus compelling farmers and the agricultural industry to seek more cost-effective solutions. These solutions must enhance production efficiency, while ensuring profitability and affordability for consumers. Moreover, the imperative of environmental sustainability urges the adoption of novel agricultural techniques that safeguard soil health and minimize ecological impact.

With these challenges and opportunities in mind, we are excited to announce this Special Issue, aimed at showcasing the groundbreaking research in the designs and applications of modern agricultural machinery systems. We welcome original contributions and comprehensive reviews from various research fields. These themes encompass a range of topics which are crucial for advancing agricultural production, including tillage, seeding, fertilization, harvesting, tractor technology, and control and automation systems.

Themes and Topics:

  • Innovative tillage and seeding technologies
  • Advances in fertilization methods and equipment
  • Cutting-edge harvesting technologies
  • Modern tractor technologies and their applications
  • Control and automation systems in agriculture
  • Sustainable agricultural machinery solutions
  • Precision agriculture and smart farming technologies

We look forward to your insightful contributions.

Dr. Mustafa Ucgul
Prof. Dr. Chung-Liang Chang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • farm equipment
  • mechanized farming
  • precision agriculture

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2043 KiB  
Article
Reducing Grain Damage in Moist Corn Threshing via Corncob Division
by Gang Wang, Chengqian Jin, Min Zhang, Chongyou Wu, Qing Tang and Yao Yang
Agriculture 2024, 14(9), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091648 - 20 Sep 2024
Viewed by 402
Abstract
For the prompt planting of subsequent crops, most of China’s corn harvest must occur before full maturity, with a grain moisture content above 25%. Harvesting moist corn presents challenges due to significant grain damage during threshing. We conducted a high-speed photography observation test [...] Read more.
For the prompt planting of subsequent crops, most of China’s corn harvest must occur before full maturity, with a grain moisture content above 25%. Harvesting moist corn presents challenges due to significant grain damage during threshing. We conducted a high-speed photography observation test of moist corn threshing. It demonstrated that corn ears, when passing through the threshing cylinder, often break into pieces. Grains on divided corncobs can be threshed more easily and earlier than those on undivided ones, suggesting that pre-dividing corn ears reduces grain damage. An experiment using the Lianchuang 825 variety examined the effect of moisture content and the divided rate of corncobs (DRC) on grain damage. The results showed that as moisture content increased from 25% to 37%, grain damage to undivided ears increased from 3.75% to 37.71%. Dividing corn ears before threshing significantly reduced damage, with an eight-piece division reducing damage by approximately 70% across all moisture levels. Verification with the Jinyu 1233 variety confirmed that a higher DRC consistently reduced damage. This study provides a new approach to reducing damage in moist corn threshing and aids in the development of low-damage threshing devices. Full article
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13 pages, 9651 KiB  
Article
Design and Fatigue Life Analysis of the Rope-Clamping Drive Mechanism in a Knotter
by Jianjun Yin, Zefu Chen, Shiyu Lv, Han Wu, Yansu Gao and Luning Wu
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1254; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081254 - 30 Jul 2024
Viewed by 676
Abstract
A knotter is a core component for the automatic bundling of agricultural materials, and a knotter with double-fluted discs is one type. Currently, the research on knotters with double-fluted discs has gradually transitioned from structural design to reliability optimization. To address rope-clamping failures [...] Read more.
A knotter is a core component for the automatic bundling of agricultural materials, and a knotter with double-fluted discs is one type. Currently, the research on knotters with double-fluted discs has gradually transitioned from structural design to reliability optimization. To address rope-clamping failures in the rope-clamping drive mechanisms in knotters, the specific failure position of the rope-clamping mechanism and the failure causes were analyzed first. The redesign of the rope-clamping drive mechanism in knotters with double synclastic fluted discs was proposed, including structure optimization and 3D modeling using the GearTrax/KISSsoft and SolidWorks software. A virtual prototype model of a knotter with a flexible rope was established by combining ANSYS with the ADAMS software. A rigid–flexible coupling dynamic simulation of the knotter was carried out using ADAMS, and the simulation results were used as the data input for the ANSYS nCode DesignLife module for the fatigue life simulation of the weak parts (the worm shaft) of the knotter. The operation test results for the rope-clamping drive mechanism indicate that the redesigned rope-clamping drive mechanism is reliable in transmission, with a rope-clamping success rate of 100%. The actual operation times for the worm shaft exceed the minimum fatigue life obtained through joint simulation. The applied joint simulation method has high simulation accuracy. Full article
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25 pages, 8502 KiB  
Article
Experimental Structural Safety Analysis of Front-End Loader of Agricultural Tractor
by Jeong-Hun Kim, Dong-Hyeon Gim and Ju-Seok Nam
Agriculture 2024, 14(6), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060947 - 18 Jun 2024
Viewed by 820
Abstract
The agricultural front-end loader is an implement attached to the front of tractors to transport various agricultural materials, including soil. Since they are subjected to various loads due to the working environment, their safety analysis in consideration of actual working conditions is required. [...] Read more.
The agricultural front-end loader is an implement attached to the front of tractors to transport various agricultural materials, including soil. Since they are subjected to various loads due to the working environment, their safety analysis in consideration of actual working conditions is required. However, there are no official standardized test codes to consider various actual working environments currently. In this study, the structural safety of a front-end loader for static and fatigue failures was evaluated using new test code reflecting actual working environments. Thirty-four measurement locations were determined as the stress concentration spots of each component of the front-end loader derived through multibody dynamic simulation. The total testing time was set to 1 h, and the test time for each task was determined considering the duty percentage of the actual loader work. The measurement results showed that the maximum stress that exceeds the material’s yield strength occurred at two locations of the mount, which is the connection to the tractor body, resulting in static yielding. For tasks, the pulling and dumping exhibited the highest stress. The task that had the largest impact on fatigue damage was the dumping. The static safety factor was found to be over 1.93 and the fatigue life met the required lifespan at all measurement locations except for those exhibiting static yielding. Therefore, the most vulnerable part of the front-end loader is the mount, and it is necessary to secure the overall structural integrity by robust design for the mount. Full article
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