Gantry technology in organic crop production
Objectives Costs of agricultural machinery and farm buildings are substantial, comprising about 40% of production costs also in organic farming. What are the tasks of agricultural machinery and agricultural engineering research in organic farming? Which agricultural engineering solutions support the basic principles of organic farming? Technology in organic crop husbandry
Environment stressing technology Appropriate technology Environment supporting technology
Use of fossile energy Mechanical weed control Gantry technology
Soil compaction by traffic Use of renewable energy sources Real precision farming
Rotating mowers Cutter bar mower Mixed cropping, strip cropping, alley cropping
Slurry distribution Manure compost distribution Biogas and compost from fermented manure
Pneumatic pest control?
Results Gantry technology , saves energy and work , increases profitability , improves and preserves soil structure , Picture: Gintas Viselga Picture: Petri Leinonen extends working time periods and assures timeliness Electrically powered centre pivot Mini gantry of critical operations , offers weather and day light independent field work , allows precise fertiliser distribution and irrigation , supports high precision intra-row weed control , allows field mapping for various objectives , offers automation of repeating work steps , grants better working conditions Picture: Chamen et al. 1994 12-m gantry with combine harvester
Picture: Petri Leinonen … battery powered Gantry technology may in future support Weed control organic crop production by , continuous mapping of plot specific soil and flora data , cultivation of perennial vegetation covering , Picture: Kress Planting mixed cropping/alley cropping systems using allelopathic effects for weed and pest resistance Picture:Josef Dolecek , in time sowing, in time weed and pest control 6-m gantry on soil bin , 46-m gantry in vegetable production mulch based cultivating and fertilising Picture: http://www.tec.agrar.tu-muenchen.de/gartentech/bilder/PVRfoto.jpg
Gantry technology renders excellent opportunity for transdisciplinary research and co-operation between life scientists and engineers.
Picture: Winfried Schäfer 5.2003 MTT Agricultural Engineering Research (Vakola) .. Winfried Schäfer 03400 Vihti . [email protected] . Tel. +358 9 2242 5220