Structure of the Chapter:
Farm machinery allows the farmer to carry out farming operations safely, economically and within the time available. Successful management of machinery involves the selection of equipment having the correct function and capacity, and the supervision of its efficient and safe operation to achieve quality work at the lowest possible cost. After studying this chapter, students should be able to describe a number of benefits while driving a four-wheel-drive tractor, in what forms the power for the tractor is used and health and safety for the tractor driver.
Power - energy of force that can be used to do work
Pull - to move something towards yourself, sometimes with great physical effort
Shaft - a bar or rod joining parts of a machine, or transmitting power
Ram - one of various implements or devices for striking or pushing with great force
Four-wheel drive - with four wheels connected to the source of power
Ballast - a stabilizer, to stabilize
Steer - to control the direction of a vehicle
Brake - device for reducing speed or stopping motion
Performance - doing a piece of work or activity
Pivot - a central pin or point on which something turns
Track - line or series of marks left by a vehicle
Slope - the area of rising or falling ground
Ditch - a narrow channel dug in or between fields or at the sides of a road
Trailer - a transport vehicle hauled by a tractor or truck
Slurry - a mixture of water, animal excrement, urine
Cab - the separate part at the front of vehicle in which the driver sits
Incident - en event which is either unpleasant or unusual
listening
Distinguish between the terms machinery and machines.
What machines could be included into farm machinery?
Try to describe the pictures at the beginning of the pictures.
The agricultural tractor
The tractor provides
power for most mobile operations on the farm and needs to be flexible to carry out tasks ranging from heavy
pulling to transport and loading duties. Power for the tractor is produced by its engine, and this power is used in three forms:
- as pulling power at the drawbar, to operate trailed equipment
- as rotary power at the power take-off
shaft
- as hydraulic power, to operate hydraulic
rams and motors
Four-wheel-drive tractors:
The majority of new tractors sold in Europe are fitted with
four-wheel drive,. Driving all four wheels of a tractor offers a number of benefits:
-greater soil contact area produces a greater cohesive pull, which is particularly advantageous under wet conditions when friction is low. When conditions are good, the advantage is small.
-the pull is shared between four drive wheels, reducing each wheel’s slip and compaction.
Ballast is also spread between all wheels, reducing total weight for a given tractor power.
-the powered front wheels give improved
steering control in wet conditions.
-the tractor’s
brakes are effective on all four wheels. Some tractors have front brakes, but normally only rear brakes are fitted, and front-wheel braking is only effective when front-wheel drive is engaged.
Some very large sized tractors have drive systems where all four wheels are the same size. This configuration produces the best
performance. The relatively large turning-circle problem can partly be overcome with centre-
pivot or four-wheel steering, which also allows front and rear wheels to run in the same
tracks during turns. If front wheels are to contribute fully to the performance, they must be correctly ballasted.
Soil working usually is required to convert a field carrying the remains of a previous crop into an environment suitable for the establishment and the continued growth of the next crop. Burying trash, reducing compaction, producing a seedbed, shaping the soil for a particular crop and improving harvesting conditions are examples of operations involving soil disturbance. A detailed understanding of the actions and interactions of cultivation equipment, under a full range of soil conditions, is essential if the aim is to achieve the desired result at least cost.
Health and safety for the tractor driver:
Hearing loss from noise exposure and injury from tractor overturning accidents are the major risks to which a tractor driver is subjected.
Since much of the noise from a tractor is airborne, most of the sound-proofing of the cab is lost if it is necessary to leave a door or window open for access to implement controls or for ventilation in hot weather.
Tractor overturns most commonly occur sideways, when operating on steep slopes or driving too close to ditches or steep banks. Trailers, slurry tankers or other heavy, unbraked machines can push the tractor down hills. Backward overturns occur less frequently, usually from attempting to pull from a high hitch point. In an overturning incident, it is most important to hang on and stay inside the cab until the tractor has come to rest completely.
top
top
top
III. Match the following antonyms:
IV. Complete the table with the noun or verb which has been omitted:
top
V. Quiz
top
This chapter deals with the farm machinery, particularly with the agricultural tractor, its power and health and safety for the tractor driver. Students will practise the terminology of this topic in a specialist text, in a number of activities and in a final quiz.
The Agricultural Notebook edited by R. J. Soffe, Blackwell Publishing Company 2003
top
Home page
Comprehension Check:
- for most mobile operations on the farm
- as pulling power, as rotary power and as hydraulic power
- four-wheel drive
- improved steering control
- hearing loss from noise exposure and injury from tractor overturning accidents
Check I:
F, F, F, T, F, F,T, T
Check II:
- rubber
- generate
- dimensions
- diameter
- rim
- rear
- capacity
- row-crop
- tillage
- width
Check III
1f, 2j, 3b, 4e, 5g, 6i, 7h, 8a, 9d, 10c
Check IV:
Verb: lose, injure, risk, perform
Noun: elimination, drive, growth, establishment, maximum, contribution, reduction
Check V
- c
- b
- a
- c
- c
- a
- b
- a
- b
- c
top