JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN FINLAND Maataloustieteellinen A ikakauskirja Vol. 61: 495—499, 1989 Technology to boost agricultural efficiency ERKKI H. OKSANEN Work Efficiency Institute, Helsinki, Finland Box 28, 00211 Helsinki The proportion of agricultural and forest- ry workers in the total labour force has been drastically reduced from 46 % in 1950 to 20 % in 1970, the latter figure having been halved to slightly less than 10 °/o towards the end of the 1980’s (Indicators of the Finnish Econo- my 1989). Agricultural production has, how- ever, grown to such an extent that restrictions have had to be introduced. This implies that work efficiency or the (net) output of agricul- tural production per working hour (Suomela 1958) has rapidly increased, exceeding the growth in many other fields of endeavour. The growth would not have been possible without mechanization and other rationalization mea- sures. Studies in various countries have suggested that production growth is attributable roughly in equal measure to mechanization on the one hand, and to breeding of plants and domes- tic animals, the use of fertilizers and more ef- ficient weed, pest and disease control on the other hand. On the farms participating in the agricul- tural profitability study the utilization of hu- man labour at the beginning of the 1960’s in day-to-day agricultural tasks amounted to 239 man hours per hectare by 1987 it had been reduced to 126 h/ha (Agricultural Econom- ics Research Institute of Finland publications Vol 4, 142). At the beginning of the 1960’s work involving a horse or a tractor accounted for 40h/ha and 16h/ha respectively. In 1987 only 3 percent of the farms participating in the study had horses and horse assisted work amounted to 55 hours per annum per farm. The corresponding figure for work involving tractors was 21 hours/ha and for combine harvesters 42 hours/farm. Tractors were widely used in agricultural work already in the early 1960’5. Thanks to larger and more powerful machines the use of tractors, especially in working the fields, has not increased significantly in terms of hours/ha, although tractors are now used to transport even the smallest loads, and many new tasks involve tractor-operated machines (Oksanen 1971). Research on Agricultural Mechanization The mechanization of work has played a significant part in the Finnish agricultural 495 https://www.c-info.fi/en/info/?token=aDFW_PTW7IgrrJtK.CG5hyAFYF_rmhPwbbkl-3g.QAT79r7YX5SjgV8v7BZZWV0QEt5zDXqwwEMsyhRXdKpRnlPeyNAHhXDClu66csUByE5eBAcPPTadgCvi8ZVu-WfiZxzUsAdKSHL4GKNU7GmmPza95YkpJyAiut8PnQIK_EHLZkclHhQ27H_Zabbx18WUkLLhFV8B9Zmv8AjV technology research during the last quarter century. This general term refers to research on and the development of new working methods and the machines, equipment, struc- tures etc. to suit these methods. The research objectives may have included achieving a reduction in human labour utilization and ex- penditure, improving the quality and accura- cy of agricultural work and making it less strenuous, promoting work safety and the at- tractiveness of the work, energy conservation and environmental protection. The three-way relationship between Man, Biology and Tech- nology should be born in mind when develop- ing agricultural working methods. A purely technical solution seldom works and its con- comitant biological damage may be very hard to remedy. In the 1950’s the mechanization of agricul- ture concentrated on converting the work in the field and the transportation work that for- merly employed horses to utilize tractor- operated equipment. Thanks to their larger size and the inclusion of hydraulic systems and power take-off tractors became more useful and versatile already in the 1960’5. In the 1980’s electronics are rendering tractors ever more versatile and precise. As a new subject, research in agricultural technology receives relatively little public funding. The more significant research centres include theState Agricultural Engineering Re- search Centre VAKOLA (formerly Agricul- tural Machinery Research Institute), which has had to operate mainly as a testing facility for agricultural machinery, the Agricultural Engineering Department of Helsinki Univer- sity (originally the Institute of Agricultural Techniques), which is only 20 years old and has limited research resources, and the state subsidized Work Efficiency Institute, which has frequently had to rely on project funding. Certain foundations, agricultural machinery manufacturers and the trade have sponsored research on agricultural technology, mainly of an applied nature. Relatively little basic re- search has been undertaken. Soil cultivation, fertilization and sowing Combined drilling may be considered the most significant, expresslyFinnish research re- sult. The work began as far back as 1958 with a field experiment designed by Professor Salo- nen, and continued through the 1960’s and in some respects beyond that decade (Kara and Räisänen 1974). It resulted in a method whereby a combined drill deposits the fertilizer in the soil between every two seed rows at about I'' (20—30 mm) below the sowing depth. Compared to broadcast fertilizing this method increases crop yields by 14 per cent (range o—4o0—40 %) with the same amount of fertilizer. Nitrogen absorption improves and the crop ripens more evenly. The use of irri- gation sprinklers complements this fertilizer placement method: crop yields are up by 60 to 65 per cent compared to a test field with broadcast fertilizing and without sprinkler irrigation. The method has been studied in several countries, but the results have not been as good further south. Huhtapalo and Heino- nen (1968) achieved an 8 per cent increase in crop yield in Sweden. In Finland combined drilling made a breakthrough early in the 1970’5.By 1974 this method was employed in 70 per cent of all spring sowing. The Finnish agricultural machinery industry has delivered considerable numbers of combined drills even to countries outside Scandinavia, and these machines are now being manufactured in oth- er countries as well. Combined drilling is also beneficial in terms of manpower utilization. Further develop- ments of the method have led to the adoption of loose weight supplies or large packaging units of fertilizer, hopper cars and low pro- file combined drills with large containers. The work is faster and less strenuous than be- fore, but requires ever more expensive ma- chinery and eguipment, rendering this method uneconomical on small farms. Research has contributed to the fine tuning of the method and the detailed designs of farming appli- ances. 496 Work using the combined drill should be preceded by at least some tilling with other equipment. Practically inclined farmers and machinery manufacturers have built a harrow or a rotary tiller to the front end of the com- bined drill.That way they can work the fields tilled in the preceding autumn in one single operation. Winter grain can be sown straight in stubble fields. Research has also contribut- ed to further developments of the method and its design details, e.g. tines and drill coulters. In terms of labour utilization the method is advantageous, but crop yields and their qual- ity have varied. Notable improvements have not always been achieved. Combined drilling is an ecologically benefi- cial and economical method, as the fertilizer will not go to waste or run into ditches and water systems. Liquid manure should also be injected in order to achieve the same level of accuracy. Soil compaction is a serious prob- lem, especially in the spring when liquid ma- nure should, according to research findings, be distributed in the fields by a trailer. A trail- er for liquid manure is too slow to use during the busy period in the spring. It is more suita- ble for fertilizing grass. Plant protection In recent years technological research has focussed on more accurate crop spraying tech- niques and the reduction of control substances (herbicides and pesticides). These objectives can be reached with up-to-date and recondi- tioned sprayers. Research institutes and equip- ment manufacturers have participated in this developmental work. Pesticides in particular pose an ergonomical risk, and it is necessary for the sprayer to wear a good mask and other protective gear, jointly developed by research and industry. Harvesting grass The use of silage has increased at the ex- pense of dried hay. The research and develop- mental work focussing on methods, machin- ery and appliances, silos and silage process- ing equipment has produced fairly effective methods that apply the findings of biological research on plants, fertilization and manur- ing, preservatives and animal nutrition. Harvesting grain crops The increased cost of energy from 1974 to 1985accelerated the research (and its fund- ing), first on crop drying and later on com- bine harvesting, as carried out at the State Research Institute of Engineering in Agricul- ture and Forestry and theWork Efficiency In- stitute. It was discovered that combine har- vesters are normally driven too slowly, result- ing in low output and high threshing losses. Our Finnish summer wheat, at least, needs to be threshed by gentler methods than those presently employed. The energy consumption of hot-air drying has been reduced by nearly a quarter with the aid of more accurate monitoring equipment and by insulating hot- air driers. Simple solar collectors increase the efficiency of cold-air driers. Foreign research results have not been of much value, as they have generally been obtained under more favourable harvesting conditions. Harvesting potatoes and other root crops Agricultural technology research has also contributed to the mechanized harvesting of root crops. The mechanized harvesting and handling of potatoes is prone to inflict dam- age and reduce the quality of the crop. The best of machines cannot produce good results if used carelessly or ignoring the operating in- structions. This fact has proved significant enough for the Agricultural Development Fund and the Finnish National Fund for Re- search and Development to have sponsored re- search that produced, among other results, a manual. 497 Potato cultivation has its own new research centre where the entire work cycle of potato growing and its alternative solutions are be- ing studied. Its objective is to produce a bet- ter quality potato with less work and expense. The Sugar Beet Research Centre has been operating meritoriously for a long time, de- veloping the biology and technology specific to this field, supporting its mechanization in the process. Horticulture Technological research combined with bio- logical research have in many ways promoted growing crops under glass as well as outdoor. The HERKO project of the Work Efficiency Institute, assisted by the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development and the berry processing industry, is a good example of interdisciplinary research. An English cur- rant picking machine was modified and the resulting Finnish version is now being manu- factured for local use and export. It applies a labour-saving method, reducing picking costs to about a half of thosefor manual pick- ing. Damage to the berry shrubs has been brought under control by means of plant pathological research and developments in cultivating methods, disease control and ma- chinery. The high cost of energy in the late 1970’s accelerated research on greenhouses and ware- houses worldwide. Considerable savings in heat energy could be effected by relatively sim- ple measures. Studies on energy conservation in gardening, agriculture and other fields led to a drop in the demand for oil and a reduc- tion in its price in early 1986. An increase in the use of alternative energy sources, in Fin- land peat, wood chips and to some extent straw, had a similar effect. Agricultural tech- nology has contributed considerably to studies of energy utilization in terms of the work cycle and equipment involved. Animal husbandry and buildings In animal husbandry mechanization has lagged behind that of field crop cultivation. Overproduction and restrictions on produc- tion have hampered the free development of this line of farming. Agricultural building re- search has been in a state of flux throughout the 1970’s and to some extent still in the 1980’s. Research on materials and structures has been carried out largely with an industrial bias. Larger and interdisciplinary research pro- jects include NAPERO (cowshed renovation ergonomics), partially sponsored by the Finn- ish Academy and implemented at university level, and MAKA (the feasibility of milk pro- duction) backed by VALIO (a large dairy and food processing company) and carried out by several universities and other institutes. Both adopted a technical/economical approach, supplemented by medicine and veterinary medicine in the case of NAPERO, and ani- mal and plant biology in the case of MAKA. Both projects have produced results beneficial to dairy barn designing and construction tech- niques, human and animal health, production techniques and economy. In animal husbandry feeds are a major in pig farming the foremost item of expen- diture. Exact feeding in terms of milk produc- tion or growth is crucial for economical pro- duction. Automatic equipment has been de- veloped for this purpose. Electronics may be applied widely in spheres other than animal husbandry and building as well. Occupational Health and Work Safety Much of the research on agricultural en- gineering has focussed on occupational health, work safety and attractiveness. The tractor cabin is no longer the shaking, vibrating, noisy and dusty den that it was at the end of the 1960’5. White fingers (Raynaud’s phenome- non) no longer afflict chain saw operators. The presence of mould dust while handling 498 hay, straw or wood chips is acknowledged and protective countermeasures are adopted, toxic gases are avoided, dangerous parts of machines and appliances are kept encased or covered sensibly, etc. Technology to repair damage The ergonomical disadvantages of mecha- nized working methods are fairly well known and many have been eliminated. Operating a machine often calls for monitoring several parts or functions simultaneously, in addition to steering, as in the case of the combine har- vester. Man’s ability to effectively divide his attention without deviating from the optimal speed is limited. Electronic and other auto- matic devices can monitor various functions and make adjustments, leaving the operator free to steer the machine. Soil compaction in the fields is a severe dis- advantage. Growth is hampered, subsurface drainage malfunctions etc. Technical solutions alone cannot restore the soil structure. It is necessary to resort to other strategies, includ- ing plant selection and crop rotation, leaving fields to lie as green fallow, etc. Environ- mental disadvantages can generally be reme- died by technological solutions, often coupled with biological measures. Buildings that do not blend in the rural landscape may be considered another kind of a disadvantage. The worst mistakes can be prevented by applying the findings of research on the rural cultural landscape and its protec- tion. Summary Research on agricultural technology has been mainly applied, emphasizing the prod- uct development of agricultural machinery. Interdisciplinary projects or composite re- search, where problems have been solved through biology, engineering and economy, not forgetting ergonomics, energy conserva- tion and environmental protection, have produced the most significant results. References Ajankohtaista maatalousekonomiaa. Kirjanpitotilojen tuloksia tiliv. 1987.1989. 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