It is well recognized that the selection of equipment is only the beginning of appropriate machinery management (see also, Agricultural Equipment: Choice and Operation). For example, the operation of the individual pieces of equipment must be coordinated properly in order to enhance productivity and efficiency. Another trend is precision agriculture (Figure 1), where state-of-the-art control and automation technology can be used to apply the optimum amount of seeds, water, fertilizers and pesticides to maximize economic return and minimize environmental damage. Maintaining working conditions and optimal performance of agricultural equipment is of vital importance in agricultural and food production due to the timeliness factor.
There is a long history of agricultural mechanization that has been human and animal powered rather than engine powered. The difference in scale is quite staggering and is a measure of the economic gulf between the rich and the poor on this planet. For example, an average horse plowing the soil at an average rate will perform work at a rate of one horsepower (hp). In contrast, a 100 hp (75 kW) tractor could work (e.g. plowing the soil) at a rate one hundred times faster than the horse.

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It is well recognized that the selection of equipment is only the beginning of appropriate machinery management (see also, Agricultural Equipment: Choice and Operation). For example, the operation of the individual pieces of equipment must be coordinated properly in order to enhance productivity and efficiency. Another trend is precision agriculture (Figure 1), where state-of-the-art control and automation technology can be used to apply the optimum amount of seeds, water, fertilizers and pesticides to maximize economic return and minimize environmental damage. Maintaining working conditions and optimal performance of agricultural equipment is of vital importance in agricultural and food production due to the timeliness factor.
There is a long history of agricultural mechanization that has been human and animal powered rather than engine powered. The difference in scale is quite staggering and is a measure of the economic gulf between the rich and the poor on this planet. For example, an average horse plowing the soil at an average rate will perform work at a rate of one horsepower (hp). In contrast, a 100 hp (75 kW) tractor could work (e.g. plowing the soil) at a rate one hundred times faster than the horse.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3

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