The mechanical harvesting efficiency of agricultural crops affects operational quality and production costs while being dependent on plot shape, operation planning, and management. Therefore, this study evaluated the operational performance of a mechanical tractor-digger set in the digging of peanut crops planted in different shaped plots. The three trapezoidal, triangular and irregular shaped plots had linear lengths of 812 m (P1), 322 m (P2) and 248 m (P3), respectively. The parameters, effective and operational field capacities; digging and management efficiencies; maneuvering and machine downtimes, including the operator personal needs and displacement in the tracks were determined and used to obtain operational efficiency. The yield of the experimental rural area, in Barrinha, SP, is 3200 kg of peanut ha-1. The experimental design followed the assumptions of statistical process control, and individual value control charts were plotted for each studied variable. The digging operation was monitored and divided into machine downtime, operational time, maneuvering time, and total time. These parameters were then used to calculate the operational capacities and efficiencies of the harvesting operation. It is concluded that plot size and shape affect the operational capacity. Effective and operational capacities are higher in longer plots, lengthwise, while maneuvering times are also shorter. Shorter plots result in digging efficiency losses. Give the best or optimal condition based on results.
Work in the field is characterized as unstructured because it is performed in inconvenient postures, without a fixed workstation, exposing the worker directly to the sun and other inclement weather. This may interfere in the health and the performance of the activity. The objective of this work was to characterize the environment of the agricultural microtractor operator, evaluating the thermal comfort during the activity in the municipality of Quixadá, CE. A model TC14 Super Yanmar Agritech microtractor, coupled to a rotary spindle, was used. For the measurements of the environmental variables, sensors and devices were installed on the operator and in the microtractor. The experimental design adopted the assumptions of statistical quality control. Fifteen collections were done daily at different times for three consecutive days. The data obtained were indices of thermal discomfort and thermography, both of which were analyzed by sequential graphs (run charts), control graph (Xbar-R chart), and scatter plot. At all rates, the work performed proved to be inadequate, exceeding the operator's capabilities and limitations. It was concluded that the activity performed by the microtractor operator is stressful. Measures should be taken to improve working conditions without affecting the operator's health.
Higher quality mechanized agricultural operations can be achieved with the use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal positioning tools (correction signals), allowing a higher accuracy, which is extremely important to reduce operating costs and waste of inputs, in addition to allowing a more effective pest control. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of the mean execution error of the positioning and pass-to-pass design in the operation of sugarcane ratoon cutting and insecticide application. Furthermore, the efficiency of controlling Sphenophorus levis through non-automatic steering (NS) and use of autopilot (RTX and RTK correction signals) in a sugarcane production plot of an experimental area located in the city of Motuca, SP, Brazil were evaluated for a total of 150 points by means of the statistical process control, analysis of variance, and descriptive statistics. Fipronil was the insecticide used for S. levis control. The evaluations consisted of the measurement of the mean execution error of the project during tractor operation in ten strides and five replications, in addition to the pass-to-pass (parallelism error) error between strides of the tractor-ratoon cutter assembly. In all strides, the mean execution error and mean error of the tractor-seeder assembly were within both the acceptable limit and the stipulated by the signal manufacturer, with values lower than 3.8 cm. The control charts were efficient to evaluate the behavior of RTX signal quality, facilitating the visualization within the limits of the project execution errors and pass-to-pass, in addition to contributing with an S. levis control 27.16% higher than the conventional control in the cutting operation of sugarcane ratoon.
ABSTRACT:The mechanized gathering process of sweeping coffee is extremely important to reduce the losses of fruit not used in the harvesting operation. But this operation usually has a low operational performance and a high cost per unit collected in this way any measures that can effectively reduce costs increase the viability of the operation. In this sense, studies on adequacy tractor mass for each operation show improvement in energy use, reducing fuel consumption. So, this study aimed to quantify the fuel consumption and effective power along the process of a tractor 4x2 FWD pulling the coffee harvester. I was used as treatments three ballasting settings, these being equivalent the relations power to weight of 36, 39 and 42 kg hp -1 working with and without activated FWD, randomized statistically, with 10 repetitions each configuration. It was conclude that, at low power-weight ratio, the front wheel drive assist had no significant influence on the hour fuel consumption. Already in the configuration with higher ratio, the use of front wheel drive favored in reducing fuel consumption and better energy use.
Information on the capacity, operational efficiency, and performance of the harvester is very important in the management of agricultural mechanized systems, influencing decisions made with the aim of optimization. This study aimed to evaluate times, movements, and quality of mechanical soybean harvest operations in different shapes of the plots. Operational performance parameters of the harvester and variables representative of the agronomic aspects of the crop were used as indicators through statistical process control tools. Mechanized harvesting was carried out at a farm located in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, and the experimental design was completely randomized, with 18, 28, and 24 repetitions in irregular, rectangular, and trapezoidal fields, respectively. The activities of the harvester (harvest, unloading, handling, and climate charts) were monitored. The indicators of quality for harvester performance were: forward speed, engine and cylinder rotation and concave opening. The losses were determined: on the platform, internal mechanisms, total and in relation to productivity. The managerial efficiency and shunt time presented better results for the trapezoidal and rectangular section, respectively. All quality indicators evaluated were within the limits of statistical control, characterizing quality and reliability of the soybean harvesting operation.
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