Agricultural Machinery

1. Introduction (0.25 ECTS). Elements for the technical-economical selection of the machinery in cereals and forage chains, in Italy and in the other Countries where the cereals and forage productions are popular.
2. Recall of the main basic elements of agricultural mechanics (0.5 ECTS): Kinematics: linear and rotational speed, radial and tangential acceleration. Dynamics: forces (friction, tension, centrifugal force), work, torque, power. Efficiency concept. Transmission components: gears, belts and pulleys, clutches.
3. The tractor (1 ECTS). Otto and Diesel cycle engines, with particular focus on the devices for the reduction of the polluting gases. Cooling and lubrication. Combustion air filtering. Diesel engine bench tests, performance curves, with particular focus to the best engine management, to reduce the fuel consumption and the polluting emissions. Powertrains: mechanical, power-shift, CVT, and their efficiency. Tyres and steel and rubber tracks, with particular focus on the soil compaction reduction, to minimize the impact on the cereals and forage productions. Traction and rolling resistance coefficients.
4. Tractor-implement coupling (1 ECTS): the PTO and its technical characteristics; hitch hook and its homologation standards; hydraulic lift and its technical characteristics; tractor hydraulic intakes. Tractor global efficiency (rolling resistance, transmission, PTO, hydraulic system and wheelslip). (1 ECTS)
5. Soil tillage machinery, with particular focus on implements for a low impact. Alternatives to the ploughing: soil cultivators, minimum tillage, zero tillage. (0.5 ECTS)
6. Precision and universal seeding machinery, with particular focus on a sustainable task execution: electronics applications for the best seeding and quality; VRT seeding. (0.25 ECTS)
7. Organic and mineral fertilization machinery, with particular focus on the devices and the techniques for the best spreading quality and the reduction of the off-target fertilizer. (0.25 ECTS)
8. Pesticide spraying machinery, with particular focus on the devices and the techniques for the distribution uniformity and the drift and percolation reduction. (0.5 ECTS)
9. Cereals and forage harvesting machinery, with particular focus on the losses reduction during crop management, harvesting, baling and storage. (0.5 ECTS)
10. Safety and ergonomics in cereals and forage chains operations: field tractors and stability problems (characteristics, standards, tests). Universal joint and PTO shaft. (0.25 ECTS)
11. Technical-didactical visits in tractors and machinery factories, in Research institutions and in cereal and forage farms, including the execution of tests on machinery, with data acquisition and relevant elaboration in the classroom. (1 ECTS)