Comparative assessment of alternate agricultural mechanization systems

拟议的研究计划的总体目标是制定和实施一个框架和方法的替代农业机械化系统（AMS）的比较评估。这项研究将集中在三个主要类别的AMS：1。拖拉机系统2。大跨度工具载体系统和其他AMS适用于受控交通农业系统，和3。依赖于自动驾驶车辆的系统。每个类别中更具体的AMS（例如，基于拖拉机的系统（适用于受控交通要求）也将被考虑。考虑到北美农业的一些典型作物生产系统（例如，乳制品，水果和蔬菜，粮食和油料，混合），建议的5年研究计划的具体目标如下：确定评估综合支持量的具体标准或标准集; 2.评估这些标准对不同农业生产系统的相对重要性; 3.描述适应这些作物生产系统的AMS;评估不同类型的辅助医疗队在每项或每套标准方面的表现。拟议的研究计划分为三个相互依存的阶段，将导致两个硕士和一个博士论文。参与这项工作的本科生和研究生将获得评估和评估替代农业机械化系统的独特专业知识。这些人将为加拿大和全球农业机械行业的未来发展和多样化提供重要支持。向农业和农业机械工业提供21世纪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.