Comparative assessment of alternate agricultural mechanization systems

拟议研究计划的总体目标是制定和实施替代农业机械化系统（AMS）比较评估的框架和方法。研究将集中在AMS的三个主要类别：1。2.基于拖拉机的系统；2 .大跨度实施载波系统和其他适应于控制交通耕作系统的辅助农业系统；依赖自动驾驶车队的系统。还将考虑每个类别中更具体的辅助医疗系统（例如，适应管制交通要求的拖拉机系统）。考虑到许多典型的北美农业作物生产系统（例如，乳制品，水果和蔬菜，谷物和油籽，混合），拟议的5年研究计划的具体目标如下：确定评估辅助医疗服务的具体准则或一套准则；2. 评估这些标准对不同农业生产系统的相对重要性；3. 3 .适应这些作物生产系统的AMS特征；就每一项或一套准则，评估不同类型医疗辅助系统的表现。建议的研究计划分为三个相互依存的阶段，将产生两篇硕士论文和一篇博士论文。参与这项工作的本科生和研究生将获得评价和评估替代农业机械化系统的独特专业知识。这些个人将为加拿大和全球农业机械行业的未来发展和多元化提供重要的支持。为农业和农业机械工业提供21世纪农业所需的知识和技术，将直接有助于它们的可持续发展和增长。

The general objective of the proposed research program is to develop and implement a framework and a methodology for the comparative assessment of alternate agricultural mechanization systems (AMS). The study will focus on three main categories of AMS: 1. Tractor-based systems, 2. Wide-span implement carrier systems and other AMS adapted to controlled-traffic farming systems, and 3. Systems that rely on fleets of autonomous vehicles. More specific AMS within each category (e.g., tractor-based system adapted to controlled-traffic requirements) will also be considered. Taking into account a number of crop production systems typical of North American agriculture (e.g., dairy, fruits and vegetables, grain and oilseed, mixed), the specific objectives of the proposed 5-year research program are as follows: 1. To identify specific criteria or sets of criteria for the evaluation of AMS; 2. To assess the relative importance of those criteria for different agricultural production systems; 3. To characterize AMS adapted to these crop production systems, and 4. To assess the performance of the different types of AMS in regards to each of these criteria or sets of criteria. The proposed research program is divided into three interdependent phases that will result into two Master's and one doctoral theses. The undergraduate and graduate students who will be involved in that work will acquire a unique expertise in the evaluation and assessment of alternate agricultural mechanization systems. These individuals will provide an important support for the future development and diversification of the Canadian and global agricultural machinery industry. Providing both the agriculture and agricultural machinery industries with the knowledge and the technologies that twenty-first century agriculture requires will directly contribute to their sustainable development and growth.