Intelligent Machinery for Precision

This course provides an overview the current level of precision agriculture technologies and intelligent agricultural machinery. The different kinds of automated guidance systems of agriculture machines, as well as path planning, automated actuation systems and implement controls will be discussed. The course addresses the use of proximal and satellite remote sensors to evaluate a crop during the growing season. The second part of the course covers the applications of precision tillage, variable rate seeding and plant spraying technologies and use of intelligent agricultural machinery in these technologies. This course includes detailed case studies on variable-rate application technologies in precision agriculture. Also course defines the requirements of controlled traffic farming systems, examines the sustainability of controlled traffic farming and examines the feasibility of coupling controlled traffic farming with precision agriculture. Laboratory works include training on soil sampling, development of management zones, determination of production cost, environmental assessment of precision agriculture operations, understanding of soil and plant test results, and development of site-specific management maps for intelligent agricultural machinery. Some challenges and future trends on the use of intelligent agricultural machinery for precision agriculture will be discussed in this course.

To create conditions for students to develop knowledge of techniques and equipment for precision farming and to form abilities to choose technical tools for precision farming, to analyze and evaluate the efficiency of precision farming technologies.

General knowledge of physical, natural and computer sciences. Basic study subjects: Transport and power machines; Mechatronic systems of machines; Tillage and crop care technologies; Harvesting machines. Subjects of special education: Basics of Agronomy and Ecology.

Lectures: 1. Precision farming (PF) and the sustainability of agriculture. The role of PF in food production and safety. 2. An overview of Navigation Systems: Global Positioning Systems (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 3. Controller area network bus (CAN-bus) and ISOBUS standards. 4. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) based and sensor controlled automatic guidance systems in intelligent agricultural machinery. 5. Machines for determining soil properties in field conditions. 6. Proximal and satellite remote sensors are used by PF. 7. Use of unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAS) in PF. 8. Precision tillage systems. 9. Variable rate technologies in PF: variable sowing rate systems; variable rate nutrient fertilization systems. 10. Spray technology in PF. 11. Controlled traffic farming in precision farming. 12. Energy and economic efficiency of precision farming. 13. Challenges and future trends in the use of smart agricultural machines. 14. Telematics systems in agriculture. Data transmission technologies. Databases. 15. Introduction to Big Data. Data formats and their exports/imports. Laboratory works: 1. Mapping and compilation of soil electrical conductivity, organic matter content, pH and nutrients. 2. Maps of plant optical properties and their creation. 3. Fertilization maps and their creation. 4. Yield maps and their creation. 5. Determining the energy and economic efficiency of precision farming.

1. Understand the construction of precision farming machinery used in various technologies. Students are able to analyze the peculiarities of the technological processes of the mentioned machines. 2. Ability to choose precision farming machines for different technologies, to determine their construction and technological parameters. 3. Understanding the precision farming system and its impacts on agricultural sustainability. 4. A report has been prepared for the energetics and economics evaluation of precision farming (individual homework). 5. Ability to publicly present and substantiate precision farming technologies, their advantages and disadvantages, to discuss, analyze and critically evaluate information. 6. Reports of home work, laboratory work and practical assignments are defended individually by answering the student with short questions on the topic of the work and explaining the methodology and results. In addition, the quality of report execution and presentation, formulation of conclusions and generalizations are evaluated. The self-employment report prepared complies with the formal requirements for such work. The report shall be submitted no later than the beginning of the examination session.