Mowing Machine Research Articles

A Full-Coverage Path Planning Method for an Orchard Mower Based on the Dung Beetle Optimization Algorithm

In order to optimize the operating path of orchard mowers and improve their efficiency, we propose an MI-DBO (multi-strategy improved dung beetle optimization algorithm) to solve the problem of full-coverage path planning for mowers in standardized quadrilateral orchard environments. First, we analyzed the operation scenario of lawn mowers in standardized orchards, transformed the full-coverage path planning problem into a TSP (traveling salesman problem), and mathematically modeled the U-turn and T-turn strategies based on the characteristics of lawn mowers in orchards. Furthermore, in order to overcome the issue of uneven distribution of individual positions in the DBO (dung beetle optimization) algorithm and the tendency to fall into local optimal solutions, we incorporated Bernoulli mapping and the convex lens reverse-learning strategy in the initialization stage of DBO to ensure a uniform distribution of the initial population. During the algorithm iteration stage, we incorporated the Levy flight strategy into the position update formulas of breeding beetles, foraging beetles, and stealing beetles in the DBO algorithm, allowing them to escape from local optimal solutions. Simulation experiments show that for 18 types of orchards with different parameters, MI-DBO can find the mowing machine’s operation paths. Compared with other common swarm intelligence algorithms, MI-DBO has the shortest average path length of 456.36 m and can ensure faster optimization efficiency. Field experiments indicate that the algorithm-optimized paths do not effectively reduce the mowing machine’s missed mowing rate, but the overall missed mowing rate is controlled below 0.8%, allowing for the completion of mowing operations effectively. Compared with other algorithms, MI-DBO has the least time and fuel consumption for operations. Compared to the row-by-row operation method, using paths generated by MI-DBO reduces the operation time by an average of 1193.67 s and the fuel consumption rate by an average of 9.99%. Compared to paths generated by DBO, the operation time is reduced by an average of 314.33 s and the fuel consumption rate by an average of 2.79%.

Anthropogenic and natural disturbances increase local genetic diversity in an early spring geophyte (Ficaria verna Huds)

AbstractThe tetraploid Ficaria verna is a common spring geophyte in central Europe and is considered invasive in the USA and Canada. It is considered an almost seed‐sterile taxon, relying on vegetative reproduction by underground tubers and aerial bulbils. Recent studies have revealed high levels of population genetic diversity in F. verna, raising the question of how genetic diversity is maintained and which factors may be responsible for the observed patterns. Polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were established to define multi‐locus genotypes (MLGs), to analyze fine‐scale spatial genetic structure (SGS) using grid and cross‐sampling schemes, and to quantify genetic diversity within and between nine populations with different disturbance regimes in central Germany. In total, 115 MLGs were identified among a total of 347 samples. The G/N ratio varied between 0.16 and 0.70 among populations, and in each population several unique MLGs occurred. Genotypes were highly intermingled within populations, suggesting a “guerrilla” dispersal strategy. Significant SGS (negative regression slope of kinship coefficients against inter‐individual distances) was found in four out of nine populations in fine‐scale cross‐sampling (up to 4 m) and in only one population in grid sampling (up to 14.6 m). No single MLG was found in more than one population, while many alleles were shared between populations. Within‐population clonal and allelic diversity increased with greater exposure to both anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Regular gap openings, facilitated propagule establishment, and propagule dispersal by water and mowing machines are likely important factors explaining the positive effects of disturbance on local genetic diversity of F. verna.

Cutaneous Pseudolymphoma Caused by an Injury with a Metallic Piece of a Mowing Machine Containing Tungsten.

Cutaneous Pseudolymphoma Caused by an Injury with a Metallic Piece of a Mowing Machine Containing Tungsten.

Suitability of Using Mechanization Means for the Maintenance of Grass Stands by the Method of Mulching

This study aims to provide comprehensive and practical information on particular mechanization means used in the maintenance of permanent grass stands, namely grass cutting technologies without the collection of cut grass biomass - mulching. A sample consisting of six machines classified into three categories (uniaxial tool carriers, single-axle small tractors, cutting machines with a zero turning radius) was tested in practice and functional and operational aspects of the machines were studied on different localities of permanent grass stands. Data measured in the individual machines were used to calculate consumption [l/ha], consumption [l/mth], consumption [l/l of cut biomass] or performance [ha/hour]. The measurements took place on two sites: a site with the permanent grass stand unkempt for a long time and a site regularly maintained by mulching. The study was conducted in the cadastral area of Ostrava City situated in the NE part of the Czech Republic. Results of the study show that the total fuel consumption [l/ha] in the individual mowing machines always at all times higher on plots that were unkempt for a long time. The overall comparison of fuel consumption [l/mth] of the individual types of cutting machines between the localities showed that nearly all tested cutting machines had a higher consumption on sites with permanent grass stands unkempt for a long time. The performance [ha/h] of all cutting machines was higher on the sites that were regularly maintained by mulching in the past.

Efficiency of Alfalfa Hay Mowing Machines under the Dryland Conditions

Efficiency of Alfalfa Hay Mowing Machines under the Dryland Conditions

Prototype of Radio-Controlled Mowing Machine for Aquatic Plants in Irrigation Canals

Prototype of Radio-Controlled Mowing Machine for Aquatic Plants in Irrigation Canals

Autonomous Mowing and Turf-Type Bermudagrass as Innovations for An Environment-Friendly Floor Management of a Vineyard in Coastal Tuscany

The establishment of permanent cover crops is becoming a common practice in vineyard floor management. Turfgrass science may provide species and techniques with a high potential for improving the sustainability of vineyard floor management. Based on this assumption, an experiment was carried out during 2018 and 2019 at the Donna Olimpia Vineyard, Bolgheri, Italy. The trial aimed at comparing an innovative floor management system based on a turf-type cultivar of bermudagrass mown with an autonomous mower with a conventional floor management system. Ground cover percentage, energy consumption, CO2 emissions, grapevine water status, leaf nitrogen content, fruit yield and must composition have been assessed in order to perform the comparison. The innovative vineyard floor management produced an almost complete ground cover (98%) at the end of the second growing season, with the resident species reduced to a small percentage (4%). Resident species growing under-trellis were efficiently controlled without herbicide applications. A lower primary energy consumption and a reduction in CO2 emissions were observed for the innovative management system compared to the conventional management system. Grapevine water status, leaf chlorophyll content, soil–plant analyses development (SPAD), fruit yields and must composition were similar between the different soil management systems. Based on results obtained in this trial, turf-type bermudagrass and innovative mowing machines may contribute to enhance the sustainability of vineyard floor management.

Development of a Simple Autonomous Navigation Method for a Mowing Machine for Aquatic Plants in Irrigation Canals

Development of a Simple Autonomous Navigation Method for a Mowing Machine for Aquatic Plants in Irrigation Canals

Energetic Aspects of Turfgrass Mowing: Comparison of Different Rotary Mowing Systems

Turfgrass mowing is one of the most important operations concerning turfgrass maintenance. Over time, different mowing machines have been developed, such as reel mowers, rotary mowers, and flail mowers. Rotary mowers have become the most widespread mowers for their great versatility and easy maintenance. Modern rotary mowers can be equipped with battery-powered electric motors and precise settings, such as blade rpm. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the differences in power consumption of a gasoline-powered rotary mower and a battery-powered rotary mower. Each mower worked on two different turfgrass species (bermudagrass and tall fescue) fertilized with two different nitrogen rates (100 and 200 kg ha−1). The battery-powered mower was set at its lowest and highest blade rpm value, while the gasoline-powered mower was set at full throttle. From the data acquired, it was possible to see that the gasoline-powered mower had a much higher primary energy requirement, independent of the turf species. Moreover, comparing the electricity consumption of the battery-powered mower over time, it was possible to see that the power consumption varied according to the growth rate of both turf species. These results show that there is a partial waste of energy when using a gasoline-powered mower compared to a battery-powered mower.

GREGORY YAKHIMOVICH – FAMOUS UKRAINIAN PUBLIC AND POLITICAL FIGURE: MILESTONES OF LIFE AND ROLE IN THE NATIONAL REVIVAL IN GALICIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

The article analyzes the social and political activities of Gregory Yakhimovich – famous Ukrainian public and political figure in the context of national revival in Galicia in the first half of the nineteenth century. Characterized the life and career of G. Yakhimovich. Reveals the background and consequences of the national revival in Galicia in the first half of the nineteenth century. Considerable attention was paid to the analysis of the influence of Gregory Yakhimovich on the national revival in Galicia in the period under study. It is noted that G. Yakhimovich played an important role in the revival of the national consciousness of Ukrainian Galicia, and during the revolution and after it played, as noted above, G. Yakhimovich, because in the second half of the nineteenth century. the restoration of the struggle for the political and cultural rights of all of Ukraine began, and thus the preconditions for the revival of the national statehood of 1917–1920 were formed. Since the formation of the Main Russian Council and until the last days of his life, G. Yakhimovich was a spiritual and political leader of the Ukrainians of Galicia. He actively defended the rights of the Ukrainian language, negotiated with the emperor and the supreme leadership of the state regarding the protection of the national interests of Ukrainians, sponsored the training of talented Ukrainian youth, etc. In addition to socio-political, church, administrative and scientific activities, G. Yakhimovich also engaged in other affairs, in which he manifested himself as a person with a significant amount of talent. Among other things, he designed a grass mowing machine and developed a spray plan on the Xiang River. For his outstanding achievements in the Austrian Empire, he was awarded the noble title of the Baron and the Order of the Commander's Cross of Leopold (at that time, the highest state award). Since he was the son of the Ukrainian peasants, this state title demanded a great deal of respect for this person and recognition from the side of society and the state. In addition to socio-political, church, administrative and scientific activities, G. Yakhimovich also engaged in other affairs, in which he manifested himself as a person with a significant amount of talent. Among other things, he designed a grass mowing machine and developed a spray plan on the Xiang River. For his outstanding achievements in the Austrian Empire, he was awarded the noble title of the Baron and the Order of the Commander's Cross of Leopold (at that time, the highest state award).Since he was the son of the Ukrainian peasants, this state title demanded a great deal of respect for this person and recognition from the side of society and the state. It is shown that G. Yahimovich also played an important role in shaping the political consciousness of the Galician Ukrainians. His work as a clergyman, scholar, social-political and at the head of the President of the Russian Parliament laid the spiritual basis for the struggle for the revival of the Ukrainian state in the early twentieth century and gave a new generation of Ukrainian political leaders belief in the rightness of their state claims. The current political situation in Ukraine boosts interest in the political views of G. Yakhimovich, which should facilitate the unification of the Ukrainian nation for the purpose of preservation of national statehood. The intellectual legacy of G. Yakhimovich occupies a prominent place in the history of the Ukrainian people. Historical and legal study of his interesting political views is a major contribution to modern processes of state-building in Ukraine.

Development of a Motorized Afifia Mowing Machine Design for Controlling Environmental Conservation and Menace for Home Use

Development of a Motorized Afifia Mowing Machine Design for Controlling Environmental Conservation and Menace for Home Use

A GPS based fawn saving system using relative distance and angle determination

Abstract. Active UHF RFID systems are often used for identifying, tracking and locating objects. In the present publication a GPS- based localization system for saving fawns during pasture mowing was introduced and tested. Fawns were first found by a UAV before mowing began. They were then tagged with small active RFID transponders, and an appropriate reader was installed on a mowing machine. Conventional direction-of-arrival approaches require a large antenna array with multiple elements and a corresponding coherent receiver, which introduces a large degree of complexity on the reader-side. Instead, our transponders were equipped with a small GPS module, allowing a transponder to determine its own position on request from the reader. A UHF link was used to transmit the location to a machine- mounted reader, where a second GPS receiver was installed. Using information from this second position and a machine- mounted magnetometer for determining the relative north direction of a vehicle, relative distance, and angle between GPS receivers can be calculated. The accuracy and reliability of this novel method were tested under realistic operating conditions, considering critical factors such as the height of grass, the lying position of a fawn, humidity and geographical area.

多足型自動草刈りロボットの開発

Currently, mowing robots on the market are difficult to use in wasteland or bumpy place. In this study, we are developing multi-legged mowing robot. In particular, the multi-legged mowing robot has eight legs. We created model of the mowing machine on a computer with “choreonoid” (dynamics simulation software) expressed virtual three dimension space in VRML. Then we simulated the multi-legged robot moving forward. In the experiment of the real multi-legged robot, we had problems of sensors detecting of legs grounding and controllers synchronizing each other. Therefore, we overcame problems by using pulse command and remote out command. In this way, we succeeded to control synchronized movement of legs of the mowing robot, and the robot can walk forward and, backward, and turn pivot.

An active UHF RFID localization system for fawn saving

Abstract. We present a localization concept for active UHF RFID transponders which enables mowing machine drivers to detect and localize marked fawns. The whole system design and experimental results with transponders located near the ground in random orientations in a meadow area are shown. The communication flow between reader and transponders is realized as a dynamic master-slave concept. Multiple marked fawns will be localized by processing detected transponders sequentially. With an eight-channel-receiver with integrated calibration method one can estimate the direction-of-arrival by measuring the phases of the transponder signals up to a range of 50 m in all directions. For further troubleshooting array manifolds have been measured. An additional hand-held receiver with a two-channel receiver allows a guided approaching search without endangering the fawn by the mowing machine.

Occupational accidents with mowing machines in Austrian agriculture.

The number of recognized accidents during agricultural work is still very high in Austria. In the years 2008 to 2009, there occurred 84 approved work accidents with mowing machines. The main causes of accidents were the loss of control of machines, transportations or conveyances, hand tools, objects or animals. In the literature, numerous studies of general agricultural and forestry accident situations are available. Detailed studies on specific types of agricultural machines, which describe concrete circumstances and causes of accidents, are in limited numbers. The accident database from the General Accident Insurance Institution and the Austrian Social Insurance Institution of Farmers, with personal and accidental data information about mowing machine accidents, were analyzed. The results showed that most accidents occurred on mixed agricultural farms (68%). The majority of the injured persons were male (86%), over 40-years-old (86%) with an agricultural or forestry education (91%). The most common accidents occurred in the summer months (69%) and on afternoons during the working week (79%). The majority of accidents were caused by contact with the machine (55%) and the loss of control (73%) during their operation (60%) and harvesting work (63%). The most frequently injuries were wounds, fractures and superficial injuries (81%) to the upper and lower extremities (66%). The results of the chi-square test showed significant correlations between the specific task with the form of contact, the working process, the day and season. Results of the odds ratio determination showed an increased risk of suffering serious injury for men in the first half of the year and half of the day due to loss of control over the machine during agricultural harvesting work.

G1000602 軸方向の伸びを考慮した紐の運動挙動

A flexible string is used at various places. Typical examples are a cable for power transmission and communication and a wire for cranes and elevators. In addition, there are the uses such as a fly-fishing line, a rope for mountain climbing and a mowing machine to cut turf by turning a nylon string. In the past study, a string pendulum was paid attention as the basic motion of the string. An analysis model of the string pendulum was made by multi-body dynamics and the behavior of the string pendulum was clarified. However, axial elongation was not considered. In fact, the string extends in the axial direction by the mass of itself and the external force and it is expected that the behavior of the string is affected by the axial elongation. Therefore, it is thought that it is necessary to carry out numerical simulation in consideration of the axial elongation in order to grasp the behavior of the string more exactly. In this study, an analysis model considering axial elongation is made and appropriateness of the modeling is verified by comparing an experiment result and an analysis result. And characteristics of the behavior of the string when the string extends in the axial direction are clarified.

Avaliação de Métodos de Construção de Aceiros Para Prevenção de Incêndios Florestais no Cerrado

We evaluated four methods of constructing firebreaks in order to prevent the spread of forest fires. The work was performed in a fragment of Cerrado sensu stricto, located margin of BR 251, near the border with the Clean Water Farm (FAL), the experimental station of the University of Brasilia (UnB). The treatments involved the construction of firebreak with the use of heat (T1), semi-mechanized mowing (T2), harrowing (T3) and mowing machine (T4). Over the range of Cerrado sensu stricto were installed 16 plots of 40 x 50 m (2000 m²), randomly distributed, representing the four treatments with four replicates each. In each plot was given the charge of combustible material. The evaluation of the methods was made based on the income earned, and operating costs impacts the ground. The following conclusions could be drawn from the study: (a) the average load of combustible materials found in the area was less than the literature values, (b) the best performance value found medium (ha 0.59 hour-1) was to the method of construction of firebreaks with the use of fire, (c) the lowest operating cost was found for treatment with semi-mechanized mowing (US$ 13.27 ha-1), and (d) there was no statistical difference between treatments on soil compaction.

Dynamics of a String Pendulum

A flexible string such as a cable or a wire is used everywhere. There are various uses such as a cable for sending electricity, a wire for tension and a mowing machine turning a nylon string. In the past study, the authors investigated the behavior in casting of a fly-fishing line by experiment and analysis. In the case of fly-fishing, casting is the element which anglers must master in order to cast a fly. Anglers have to cast a light weight fly by using the weight of a line. In the past study, an analysis model of a fly line and a rod, arms was made with rigid body and link. Numerical simulation was carried out and a better casting method was examined. In this study, a method to cut off an object by a turning string is examined based on the conventional study results. In the past study about a cable and a line, appropriateness of the modeling has not been numerically verified by comparing an analysis result with an experiment result. However, appropriateness of the modeling has to be verified numerically by an error of analysis and experiment. Therefore, this study pays attention to the basic movement of the line pendulum as the first grade to a cutting method with a string and makes an analysis model, and clarifies the behavior of line pendulum by experiment and numerical analysis.

Hand Actuation Strength: A Preliminary Evaluation of Physical Demand in a Nontraditional Lawn Mowing Control System

Many jobs and tasks involve hand control requiring large forces, awkward positions and/or high repetition rates which may lead to upper limb injury or illness. The operation of commercial lawn mowing machines involves a combination of these factors for actuation of hand controls and therefore may pose a safety concern for the operators. A nontraditional control system currently implemented on a commercially-available lawn mower may reduce some of the precursors for upper limb illness or injury due to hand and body positioning. This preliminary study compared maximum grip strength in nine different orientations (combinations of 3 different grip spans and 3 different positions). The results showed that there was a difference between the three different grip spans (p < 0.0001) and a difference between positions (p < 0.0001). The position of the nontraditional control system and the smallest grip span (6.3cm) facilitated the highest grip forces. Further investigation is required to better understand the impact on users of repetitive actuation in these orientations specifically while mowing.

New Direction with Low-Input of Fertilization in Grasslands

SUMMARY The modern agricultural systems have become productive but only by being highly dependent on external inputs (Altieri, 1995). A gro wing number of scientists, farmers and the general public fear for the long-term sustainabilli ty of such highly input ‐ dependent and ecologically simplified food production system. Far m chemicals ar questioned on grounds of cost but their widespread use also has implication for human and animal health and for the environement.The objectif of our paper is to mainta in biodiversity of grasslands by applying low inputs nutrients (to maintain the integrity and biological diversity) and to study the effect of organic fertilization and mulching upon phyto-di versity and productivity of grasslands from Garda de Sus The external input promovation experiment is look l ike an radical alternative for agricultural development, but on the other hand, lo ok like a negative part because „pressure” the human. This experiment took place in 2009 in Garda de Sus commune at 1320 m elevation. A randomized block repetition method with 7 different variants in 5 repetition were used. Species studied were performed using Braun- Blanquet standard method. Mowing was done at Poaceaes blooming using a spinning mowing machine. The floral composition was analysed in two different years (in 2009 and in 201 0).We observed that Agrostis capillarisFestuca rubra were the predominant types of grassland species in our analysis. There were no changes in species number and biodiversity. As result of technological inputs application, ther e were no changes recorded at the level of the treated variants’ canopy.