The failure of the cutting elements of farm machinery is due to the blunting of cutting edges (increase of their radius) till the limit values. The most effective method for increasing the wear resistance of farm machinery is the realization of self-sharpening effect of the cutting elements. The testings took place in laboratory and field at the State Technical University of Kirovograd (Ukraine) in 2015. The technical equipment consists of the consolidated farmer plowshares by different methods as well as their samples, devices for measuring the wear resistance and thumbprint plowshares. It was determined the resistance to wear, the radius of curvature and the changing coefficient of the blades shape. The self-sharpening process was examined throughout the experiment. The results showed that the consolidated plowshares by the proposed technology (laser welding of the mixture (PS-14-60 + 6% В4С) compared to the traditional technology (volumetric heat treatment) have a blade radius 2.5 times lower, a wear 2.2 to 2.78 times lower and the self-sharpening process of the plowshares has been observed since the beginning of the wear until the time limit operation. The changing shape coefficient was respectively of 0.98 for the consolidated plowshares with alloy PS-14-60 + 6% B4C and 0.82 for those consolidated by volumetric heat treatment.

The restoration cost for agricultural machinery parts systematically influences on that of agricultural production. Hence the need to find the most effective and less expensive methods for repairing these parts. The bushes of the connecting rods of internal combustion engines are among the parts that wear out quickly and are made with expensive and deficient bronzes. The technical equipment used consists a worn out bushes of bronze treated by various methods, a vibro-rolling device, deformation software, a profilograph-profilometer, a microscope, and a machine of friction. In order to analyze the performance of the bushes of the connecting rods of internal combustion engines resulting from various treatments, the following parameters were determined: the height of the micro-relief elements, the absorption and the surface oil retention force, the optimum support surface, the wear and the wear intensity, the temperature of the friction area and the duration of the running-in period. The vibro-rolling followed by the deformation by broaching increases oil retention force from 1.8 to 2 times, and the wear resistance from 1.86 to 3.45 times as compared with the traditional technology. This new technology can be used for the restoration of the bushes of the connecting rods of internal combustion engines.

Pearl millet production in Niger is characterized by manual sowing and weeding and low use of inputs like mineral and organic fertilizer. This objective of the study was to compare a traditional production package (control) against a new production package consisting of mechanized sowing and weeding, seed priming, seed treatment with a fungicide/insecticide, and microdosing at rate of 0.3 g NPK 15–15–15 hill−1. The experiment was conducted for 2017 and 2018 and at three sites each year. The average time used for sowing and weeding was reduced from 70.2 hours ha−1 in manual operations to 20.3 hours ha−1 in mechanized operations. The new production package reduced the time to maturity by 11 days compared with the traditional package. Average grain yield in the traditional and new production package was 947 and 1470 kg ha−1, respectively, while the corresponding stover yields were 2460 and 3005 kg ha−1, respectively. The increased yield as a result of the new production package is likely an effect of more precise sowing, better weed control, and faster crop development. The improved package increased the gross margin by 80.2% compared with the traditional production method. The improved package will be interesting for the farmers because of the increase in land and labour productivity.

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The wear of machines and mechanisms after rubbing is a major concern. The costs of manufacturing and restoration parts for agricultural machinery are enormous such as the trunnions pinions of hydraulic pumps. Finishing treatment antifriction without abrasive (FTAA) is the existing method of manufacturing and restoration, but it has disadvantages like low work efficiency and the frequent replacement of the instrument. That is why a new method of FTAA parts type ''tree'' has been developed called vibratory finishing treatment antifriction without abrasive, (VFTAA) method. The study was conducted at the laboratory of the State Technical University of Kirovograd (Ukraine) where turn 16K20, the profilograph-profilometer "Talysurf-5", the scanning electron microscope REM-106I, friction machine MI-1M and the stand KI-28097-02M were used respectively for machining, study of micro relief before and after the VFTAA, microstructure, wear resistance and the determination of the break-in period of parts. The results showed that the VFTAA helped reduce the roughness Ra of the samples studied by half compared to the samples processed by polishing and 1.3 times compared to those treated with the FTAA, the break-in period has been reduced four times , this leads to an increase in the life of the hydraulic pump. This technology can be recommended for manufacturing and repair of hydraulic units of agricultural machineries.

Wear is the main reason for the loss of performance of the parts for agricultural machinery. It leads to the degradation of the soil working quality. This work aims to highlight the wear resistance of the harrows discs manufactured, consolidated and sharpened differently. The tests were conducted in the laboratory and the field of the Faculty of Exploitation and Repair of Agricultural Machinery of the State Technical University of Kirovograd (Ukraine) in 2015.The technical equipment consists of devices for consolidation by electric discharge and for measurement the linear wear of discs, a harrow, a sand test bed, a tractor and discs made of different materials and technologies. Some parameterized were collected during the laboratory test each 5 ha and up to 20 ha of operation and in the fields each 30 ha until the time limit of exploitation. The Laboratory tests have shown that after twenty (20) ha of operation, the wear resistance of the experimental discs made of steel 65G and consolidated by electric discharge with simultaneous grinding (sharpening angle of 30°) is 2.95 times higher than the discs in series made of steel 28MnB5. The field experiment gave the following results: According to agro technical requirements, the plowing depth limit of serial discs made of steel 28MnB5 was reached after an operating duration of 120 ha while for experimental discs made of steel 65G and consolidated by electric discharge with simultaneous grinding (sharpening angle of 30 degrees) this duration is of 156 ha. The diameter wear limit of experimental discs was reached after an operating duration of 179 ha against 154 ha for the serial ones. Therefore, the new technology can be applied during the manufacture and / or the repair of the discs.

The study was carried out in three villages in the Niger River region where thirty producing farmers per village were surveyed. These surveys concerned the field's methods of acquisition, the tools used, the labor productivity and the cultivated area extent. The results obtained show that the most dominant mode of acquisition of the rice fields is through contract. In all the three villages, the areas cultivated with animal traction are 10 times larger than those cultivated manually during the first plowing and the second plowing (leveling) was carried out 100% by tillers. The productivity of plowing work is 8 h/ha with motorized tools against 1 days/ha in animal traction and 10 persons/days/ha manually. The tillers constitute the highest motorized tools used. They are 37 with an average of 1.23 ± 2.38/person for the farmers of Libore Bani Goungou against 35 with an average of 1.16 ± 2.25/person for those of Gueri Guinde Zarma and 34 with an average of 1.13 ± 2.19/person for the farmers of Saga Goungou. For animal-drawn plows, the highest number was observed in Saga Goungou where 45 were counted with an average of 1.2 ± 2.9/person against 41 with an average of 1.36 ± 4.94/person in Libore Bani Goungou and 40 with an average of 1.33 ± 4.82/person at Gueri Guinde Zarma. The efficiency of motorized hulling (125 Kg/h) is ten times higher than that of manual hulling.