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Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production

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A special issue of AgriEngineering (ISSN 2624-7402).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 20508

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marcello Biocca

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Guest Editor

Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria—CREA, Centro di Ricerca In-Gegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
Interests: agricultural engineering; safety, health and safety in agro-food systems; crop protection technology; mechanization in urban forestry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Roberto Fanigliulo

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Guest Editor

CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’analisi Dell’economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
Interests: agricultural engineering; prototypes development; testing of farm machinery, forestry equipment’s and tires; study of biolubricants; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect manuscripts related to engineering applications to promote sustainable agriculture.

Agricultural engineering and sustainable development are intrinsically linked, and all fields of agricultural engineering have a great potential to enhance the global sustainability, from the development and use of innovative machinery to the latest application of digital- and precision-farming solutions. Agricultural engineering and mechanization play a key role in developing bio-based input, in waste process and treatment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, in reducing and correctly distributing pesticides and fertilizers.

Agriculture, forestry, and food-production must continue to supply safe and healthy food, feed, and fibers without draining non-renewable resources or compromising the environment, assuring economic profitability, and social and economic equity and contributing to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals, the European Green Deal, and the Farm to Fork Strategy.

This Special Issue focuses, but is not limited, to the agricultural engineering in the following areas:

Sustainable technology innovation to support resource efficiency;
Energy conservation and low-carbon production;
Organic farming;
LCA;
Sustainable supply chain management;
Sustainable material development and evaluation;
Agro-waste minimisation, reuse and recycling technologies;
Agricultural engineering solutions for developing countries;
Agricultural machinery, equipment, and structures;
Agricultural resource management (including land-use and water-use);
Agro-food waste management;
Biofuels and renewable energies;
Energy efficiency and conservation;
ICT, digital, and precision agriculture;
Livestock and aquaculture production;
Soil management and conservation;
Sustainable postharvest management practices;
Water management and irrigation techniques;
Fruit crops and agro-biodiversity preservation.

Dr. Marcello Biocca
Dr. Roberto Fanigliulo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. AgriEngineering is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable agriculture
precision farming
organic farming
circular economy
pollution
input reduction

Published Papers (12 papers)

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17 pages, 4132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advanced Farming Strategies Using NASA POWER Data in Peanut-Producing Regions without Surface Meteorological Stations

by Thiago Orlando Costa Barboza, Marcelo Araújo Junqueira Ferraz, Cristiane Pilon, George Vellidis, Taynara Tuany Borges Valeriano and Adão Felipe dos Santos

AgriEngineering 2024, 6(1), 438-454; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010027 - 20 Feb 2024

Viewed by 461

Abstract

Understanding the impact of climate on peanut growth is crucial, given the importance of temperature in peanut to accumulate Growing Degree Days (GDD). Therefore, our study aimed to compare data sourced from the NASA POWER platform with information from surface weather stations to identify underlying climate variables associated with peanut maturity (PMI). Second, we sought to devise alternative methods for calculating GDD in peanut fields without nearby weather stations. We utilized four peanut production fields in the state of Georgia, USA, using the cultivar Georgia-06G. Weather data from surface stations located near peanut fields were obtained from the University of Georgia’s weather stations. Corresponding data from the NASA POWER platform were downloaded by inputting the geographic coordinates of the weather stations. The climate variables included maximum and minimum temperatures, average temperature, solar radiation, surface pressure, relative humidity, and wind speed. We evaluated the platforms using Pearson correlation (r) analysis (p < 0.05), linear regression analysis, assessing coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and Willmott index (d), as well as principal component analysis. Among the climate variables, maximum and minimum temperatures, average temperature, and solar radiation showed the highest R² values, along with low RMSE values. Conversely, wind speed and relative humidity exhibited lower correlation values with errors higher than those of the other variables. The grid size from the NASA POWER platform contributed to low model adjustments since the grid’s extension is kilometric and can overlap areas. Despite this limitation, NASA POWER proves to be a potential tool for PMI monitoring. It should be especially helpful for growers who do not have surface weather stations near their farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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12 pages, 2818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reduction in Atmospheric Particulate Matter by Green Hedges in a Wind Tunnel

by Marcello Biocca, Daniele Pochi, Giancarlo Imperi and Pietro Gallo

AgriEngineering 2024, 6(1), 228-239; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010014 - 22 Jan 2024

Viewed by 820

Abstract

Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in reducing atmospheric particulate matter (PM), modifying microclimates, and improving air quality. This study investigates the impact of a laurel hedge (Laurus nobilis L.) on airborne PM, specifically total suspended particulate (TSP) and respirable particles (PM₄) generated by a Diesel tractor engine. Conducted in a wind tunnel of approximately 20 m, the research provides insights into dust deposition under near-real-world conditions, marking, to our knowledge, the first exploration in a wind tunnel of this scale. Potted laurel plants, standing around 2.5 m tall, were arranged to create barriers of three different densities, and air dust concentrations were detected at 1, 4, 9, and 14 m from the plants. The study aimed both to develop an experimental system and to assess the laurel hedge’s ability to reduce atmospheric PM. Results show an overall reduction in air PM concentrations (up to 39%) due to the presence of the hedge. The highest value of dust reduction on respirable particles was caused by the thickest hedge (three rows of plants). However, the data exhibit varying correlations with hedge density. This study provides empirical findings regarding the interaction between dust and vegetation, offering insights for designing effective hedge combinations in terms of size and porosity to mitigate airborne particulate matter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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22 pages, 3004 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study of an Agricultural Indoor Robot for Harvesting Edible Bird Nests in Vietnam

by Duc Anh Vu Trinh and Nguyen Truong Thinh

AgriEngineering 2024, 6(1), 113-134; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010008 - 12 Jan 2024

Viewed by 700

Abstract

This study demonstrates robot technology for harvesting edible bird’s nests within swiftlet houses. A comprehensive manipulator’s movement analysis of harvesting operation with a separating tool is provided for precisely collecting swiftlet nests. A robotic manipulator mounted on a mobile platform with a vision system is also analyzed and evaluated in this study. The actual harvesting or separating the swiftlet nests is performed with visual servo feedback. The manipulator performs the gross motions of separating tools and removing the nests under computer control with velocity and position feedback. The separating principle between the objective nest and wooden frame has been applied to a demonstration removal of nests using a four-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to perform the gross movements of tool. The actual separations using this system are accomplished as fast as the manipulator can be controlled to perform the necessary deceleration and topping at the end of separating. This is typically 2.0 s. This efficiency underscores the system’s capability for swift and precise operation in harvesting an edible bird nest task. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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14 pages, 2572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Vermicompost Sludge Instead of Peat in Olive Tree Nurseries in the Frame of Circular Economy and Sustainable Development

by Vasiliki Kinigopoulou, Evangelos Hatzigiannakis, Stefanos Stefanou, Athanasios Guitonas and Efstathios K. Oikonomou

AgriEngineering 2023, 5(3), 1630-1643; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5030101 - 19 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1058

Abstract

The survival of newly planted seedlings and their successful development after transplantation, including faster plant growth, improved plant quality, larger production, and the absence of dependence on arable land, is one of the primary goals of horticultural nurseries. Although peat is the most frequently used amendment in commercial potting substrates, exploiting it degrades essential ecosystems like peatlands and uses slowly renewable resources. This study evaluated the growth and nutrition of olive-rooted cuttings when peat was partially or completely replaced with vermicompost, searching for more sustainable methods and recovering urban wastewater treatment sludge sequentially. The progress of the plants’ growth was compared to that of corresponding plants in which commercial peat had been used as substrate. Leachates from every procedure were also examined, and the results revealed that trace element and heavy metal contents were much lower than those deemed hazardous for aquifers and soil. The outcomes indicated that peat might be effectively replaced with vermicompost sludge, promoting plant growth without further fertilizer. Comparatively to olive cuttings grown in peat-based substrates, those grown in compost-based substrates experienced improved nutrition and development. Further, it was found that irrigation doses were significantly reduced in treatments with a significant amount of vermicompost as the water drained more slowly. A technical-economic analysis was being conducted in the meantime, illustrating the financial benefits for a nursery when peat is replaced with vermicomposted sludge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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11 pages, 3051 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Visualization of Lidar-Based 3D Droplet Distribution Detection for Air-Assisted Spraying

by Zhichong Wang, Yang Zhang, Tian Li, Joachim Müller and Xiongkui He

AgriEngineering 2023, 5(3), 1136-1146; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5030072 - 03 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1157

Abstract

Air-assisted spraying is a commonly used spraying method for orchard plant protection operations. However, its spraying parameters have complex effects on droplet distribution. The lack of large-scale 3D droplet density distribution measurement methods of equipment has limited the optimization of spraying parameters. Therefore, there is a need to develop a method that can quickly obtain 3D droplet distribution. In this study, a 2D LiDAR was used to quickly scan moving droplets in the air, and a test method that can obtain the visualization of 3D droplet distribution was constructed by using the traveling mode of the machine perpendicular to the scanning plane. The 3D droplet distribution at different positions of the nozzle installed in the air-assisted system was tested at different fan rotation speeds, and the methods for signal processing, point cloud noise reduction, and point cloud division for 2D LiDAR were developed. The results showed that the LiDAR-based method for detecting 3D droplet distribution is feasible, fast, and environmentally friendly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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15 pages, 16174 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing the Durability of Tools for Forest Road Maintenance

by Monika Vargová, Łukasz Bołoz, Miroslava Ťavodová and Richard Hnilica

AgriEngineering 2023, 5(1), 566-580; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5010036 - 07 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1408

Abstract

To ensure the care of forests, it is necessary to make them sufficiently accessible by forest roads. The basic working tool are hammers, or round shanks of various shapes, composed of a body and a tip. They are subject to a strong abrasive environment, which often leads to damage up to the complete destruction of the functional part of the tool. For these reasons, it is necessary to deal with the possibilities for increasing their lifetime. One of the possibilities of increasing the service life of these tools is hardfacing by welding. The article deals with the abrasive resistance of the original material of the tool and the hardfacing materials. Based on the chemical analysis of the base material of the tool, we found that the tool is made of manganese steel 38Mn6. This material was used as a standard and was compared with the hardfacing materials Abradur 58, E DUR 600, UTP DUR 600 and OK 84.58. Electron microscopy was used to evaluate the microstructure. Next, the Rockwell hardness measurement was performed on the samples. The original tool material 38Mn6 reached the lowest hardness value, namely, 21 HRC. The highest value was reached by the hardfacing material E DUR 600, namely, 59 HRC. Subsequently, a test of resistance to abrasive wear was performed according to GOST 23.208-79. Based on this test, we can conclude that the highest value of resistance to abrasive wear was achieved by Abradur 58. Even though the hardness of this coating was slightly lower than the hardfacing material E DUR 600, specifically 56 HRC, we can state that this hardfacing material (Abradur 58) achieved the best results among the investigated materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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18 pages, 5447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Full Assistance System (FAS) for the Safe Use of the Tractor’s Foldable Rollover Protective Structure (FROPS)

by Davide Gattamelata, Daniele Puri, Leonardo Vita and Mario Fargnoli

AgriEngineering 2023, 5(1), 218-235; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5010015 - 25 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1926

Abstract

The use of agricultural tractors is a major concern in agriculture safety due to the high level of risk of loss of stability combined with the frequent absence of passive safety devices such as rollover protective structures (ROPSs). Indeed, although in most cases the ROPS is installed, when working in vineyards, orchards, or in other cases of limited crop height, the tractor is usually equipped with a foldable ROPS (FROPS), which is often misused because the effort needed for raising/lowering is excessive and the locking procedure is time-consuming. Thus, the goal of this research is to investigate the problem from the ergonomics point of view, developing a support system capable of facilitating FROPS operations. The research outcome consists of the development of a retrofitted full assistance system (FAS) for lowering/raising the FROPS by means of electric actuators. Additionally, an automatic locking device (ALD) was also developed to safely and automatically lock the FROPS. Both the FAS and ALD systems were implemented following a reverse-engineering approach, while their final validation was performed by means of a real prototype tested in a laboratory. The results achieved can contribute to expanding knowledge on human-centered research to improve safety in agriculture and thus social issues of sustainable agricultural systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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14 pages, 5217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Workability Assessment of Different Stony Soils by Soil–Planter Interface Noise and Acceleration Measurement

by Pietro Toscano, Maurizio Cutini, Alex Filisetti, Elia Premoli, Maurizio Porcu, Nicola Catalano, Carlo Bisaglia and Massimo Brambilla

AgriEngineering 2022, 4(4), 1139-1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4040070 - 16 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1624

Abstract

Sowing is critical for successful crop establishment and productivity, particularly in precision agriculture management strategies. However, topsoil characteristics directly affect agribusiness maximization (i.e., crop-yield increase, machinery efficiency, operating-cost reduction) even in the most advanced farming management techniques. The excessive presence of coarse fractions or stones in arable soil layers prevents modern machinery from reaching optimal efficiency. This work focuses on sowing to verify whether the vibration and noise arising during this operation significantly change with varying soil conditions according to the stoniness degree of disturbance on soil workability. To make this assessment, an experimental sowing activity was carried out on four soil plots with two different disturbance degrees. The results confirmed that the noise and acceleration of the sowing machine significantly correlated with the soil disturbance degree and related workability profile. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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16 pages, 1079 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Recurrent Rolling/Crimping of a Cereal Rye/Crimson Clover Cover Crop on No-Till Bush Bean Yield

by Ted S. Kornecki and Corey M. Kichler

AgriEngineering 2022, 4(4), 855-870; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4040055 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1976

Abstract

A no-till experiment was conducted in Auburn, AL U.S.A. to evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental two-stage roller/crimper in reoccurring rolling over the same area planted with a cereal rye/crimson clover cover crop mix and its influence on bush bean yield. Cover crop termination was much greater with rolling/crimping when compared to the non-rolled (untreated) control. During the three growing seasons, rolling three times had significantly higher termination rates compared to all other treatments, exceeding 90% in 2020. These results suggest that there may be an advantage to rolling/crimping three times so that planting of the cash crop could potentially be performed one week earlier, under favorable soil moisture conditions. However, for growing seasons 2018 and 2020 at three weeks after rolling, there were no differences between rolling treatments. In 2019, rolling three times over the same cover crop area was the only treatment that achieved above 90% termination rate indicating a clear advantage of recurring rolling/crimping in 2019. Rolling/crimping proved to be effective as yield was significantly higher compared to not rolled when averaged over all three growing seasons. This is possible due to the difficulty in planting into a standing cover crop which could have negative effects on seed to soil contact, but more importantly explained with the slight soil moisture advantage given to the rolled plots over the standing cover crop plots. Thus, optimum soil moisture when planting beans is key for successful germination and good main crop stand. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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12 pages, 1517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Levels of Whole-Body Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver of a Tractor Equipped with Self-Levelling Cab during Soil Primary Tillage

by Daniele Pochi, Laura Fornaciari, Gennaro Vassalini, Renato Grilli and Roberto Fanigliulo

AgriEngineering 2022, 4(3), 695-706; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4030044 - 01 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2024

Abstract

Agricultural tractor drivers’ health preservation and comfort represent important aspects of the evolution of agricultural machinery and led to the development of devices aimed at improving working conditions, such as soundproof cab and driver seat suspension, nowadays commonly adopted in tractors. The vibrations are one of the factors mostly affecting health and comfort conditions, resulting from the characteristics and interaction of specific tractor’s parts (tyres, axles, chassis, cab). Trying to improve their products, manufacturers developed a cab prototype equipped with an automatic self-levelling system, whose goal is to maintain the driver’s vertebral column in a correct position during heavy agricultural operations such as primary soil tillage. A tractor with a such a prototype was tested to assess its effectiveness in maintaining the cab horizontal and any effects on the transmitted levels of whole-body vibration, during soil primary tillage carried out by means of a mouldboard plough and a subsoiling plough, both in plain and hilly surfaces. The results showed that the device worked well at a slope lower than the operating limits of the system, keeping the cabin horizontal through progressive adjustments. A slight reduction of the level of vibration was observed with a self-levelling system working during the tillage tests in the plain, compared to the traditional condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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14 pages, 5745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trampling Analysis of Autonomous Mowers: Implications on Garden Designs

by Mino Sportelli, Sofia Matilde Luglio, Lisa Caturegli, Michel Pirchio, Simone Magni, Marco Volterrani, Christian Frasconi, Michele Raffaelli, Andrea Peruzzi, Lorenzo Gagliardi, Marco Fontanelli and Giuliano Sciusco

AgriEngineering 2022, 4(3), 592-605; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering4030039 - 01 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2243

Abstract

Several trials have been carried out by various authors concerning autonomous mowers, which are battery-powered machines. The effects of these machines on turfgrass quality and energy consumption have been thoroughly investigated. However, there are still some aspects that have not been studied. Among these, random trajectory overlapping is one of the most important. To investigate these aspects, two RTK-GPS devices along with the custom-built software used for previous trials has been upgraded in order to precisely calculate how many times the mower drives over the same spot using random trajectories. This parameter, the number of passages in the same position, was hypothesized to explain the autonomous mower’s overlapping and trampling action. The trial has been carried out testing a commercial autonomous mower on three areas with different levels of complexity to assess its performances. The following variables were examined: the percentage of mowed area, the distance travelled, the number of intersections, the number of passages, and the autonomous mower’s work efficiency. The average percentage of area mown (average value for the three areas) was 54.64% after one hour and 80.15% after two hours of work. Percentage of area mown was 15% higher for the area with no obstacles after two hours of work. The number of passages was slightly different among the three garden designs. The garden with no obstacles obtained the highest number of passages with an average of 37 passages. The highest working efficiency was obtained in the garden with an intermediate number of obstacles with a value of 0.40 after two hours of work. The estimated energy consumption resulted 0.31 Wh m⁻² after one hour and 0.42 Wh m⁻² after two hours of working. These results highlight how the correct settings of cutting time may be crucial to consistently save energy during the long period and may be useful for a complete automation of the maintenance of green areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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11 pages, 2688 KiB

Open AccessTechnical Note

Testing of Roller-Crimper-and-Undercutting-Blade-Equipped Prototype for Plants Termination

by Mino Sportelli, Christian Frasconi, Lorenzo Gagliardi, Marco Fontanelli, Michele Raffaelli, Massimo Sbrana, Daniele Antichi and Andrea Peruzzi

AgriEngineering 2023, 5(1), 182-192; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5010013 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2146

Abstract

The use of roller crimpers to terminate plants and obtain a natural mulch before cash crop establishment has been identified as a valid and sustainable approach to control weeds. Several enhancements have been evaluated to improve and speed up plant termination to avoid delays in cash crop planting and consequent yield losses, which can occur with standard roller crimpers. In the present study, a new prototype machine provided with a roller crimper and an undercutting blade, allowing it to simultaneously crimp plant stems and cut root systems, has been designed, realized, and tested. The aim of the research was therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype for plant termination and to compare it with a commercial roller crimper. The termination was performed on a spontaneous vegetation cover (weeds). A monophasic exponential decay model to evaluate the weed termination rate over time was performed. The fitted model showed that the prototype is able to achieve a greater and faster weed devitalization compared to the commercial roller crimper, with a lower plateau (0.23 vs. 5.35 % of greenness of plant material, respectively) and higher constant of decay (1.45 vs. 0.39 day⁻¹, respectively). Further studies are needed to evaluate the prototype’s effectiveness in relation to different soil textures, moisture conditions, and amounts of plant biomass to manage, to further improve the machine and extend its use in a broad range of situations, including cover crop termination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production)

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