Tractor-free agriculture is an intersectoral end-to-end technology of agriculture

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The article presents a new technological direction – «tractor-free agriculture». Its advantages are proved and the attributes that translate this technological direction into the category of intersectoral end-to-end technology are determined. The paradigm of «tractor-free farming» declares the rejection of the use of classic tractors of traction and traction-energy concepts and defines the transition to mobile energy modules-transformers of the energy concept. The principles of the energy concept determine the maximum possible use of engine power for useful movement and execution of work processes, which ensures high efficiency of «tractor-free farming». The use of sets of mobile power transformer modules of electric drive type, complete with technological modules, instead of tractors, ensures maximum technical and technological equipment of agricultural industries for all conditions and various technological operations. The authors have proved that «tractor-free farming» is the most effective in the field of industrial horticulture and nursery farming, characterized by a wide range of conditions and a variety of technological operations performed. The article provides examples of basic configurations and technical appearance of «tractor-free farming» products for the industrial horticulture and nursery industry. The intersectoral nature of the new technological direction makes it possible to effectively use products of «tractor–free agriculture» in other sectors of agriculture – vegetable growing, breeding and seed production, as well as in municipal and urban logistics. An example of the practical implementation of individual fragments of «tractor-free farming» products in industrial gardening can be an existing model demonstrator of a garden e-Drone, with the pilot name «Russian Shuttle», created at the INTECH Engineering Center of the Michurinsk State Agrarian University. This product with a load capacity of up to 1000 kg and an operating speed from 0 to 30 km/h is designed for harvesting and transporting fruits. A distinctive feature of the Russian Shuttle garden drone is the use of 2 mass–produced electric drive bridges with a capacity of 1.2 kW, which significantly reduces its cost (by 10 times) compared to existing foreign self-propelled garden platforms.