CIGR Newsletter No 45
++ CIGR NEWS ++ CIGR NEWS ++ CIGR NEWS ++
NEWS FROM THE PRESIDIUM
Report from the Presidium
CIGR is networking worldwide. CIGR is now composed of 47 member organizations consisting of regional societies, national societies, international organizations and groups of individual members. As the Latin American Society of Agricultural Engineering (ALIA) and the Southern and Eastern African Society of Agricultural Engineering (SEASAE) have joined CIGR, the Executive Board members are now represented by all major continents in the world except Oceania. On the occasion of the International Conference in Perth, Australia, I invited the Australian Society of Engineering for Agriculture to join us. CIGR welcomed new national members of Bangladesh, Iran, Mexico and the Philippines this year.
Activities of CIGR are expanding worldwide. Prof. Berge, the Past President initiated CIGR network and fostered it. The network has been strengthened by installing a new Website in Ireland. In cooperation with FAO, CIGR has started agricultural engineering email network throughout the world. The Agricultural Engineering Directory which was formed by FAO with the collaboration of CIGR will be kept up-to-date by the continuous effort of CIGR members through its network. The CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering is now ready to be published next month. The handbook will serve as the basic information source of agricultural engineering and relevant fields in both developing and developed regions of the world. The Electronic Journal of CIGR has started this year. Prof. Stout, Chairman of its Editorial Board has developed the editing system.
As the activities expand, CIGR needs additional funds. CIGR has started a new fee system this year. The new system enables each member society to select its fee level by adjusting the number of its registered members to CIGR and also by selecting service from CIGR. In selecting the fee level the total number of the national society members, the national GNP and the international activ members should be considered. Another new point is that the limitation of the registered members of CIGR at 700 in the old rule has been eliminated so that large regional / national societies can register more members. For example, Japan has increased its registered members from 500 to 900 and paid 6,900 USD to CIGR this year. I sincerely hope that all other societies will increase their registered members, possibly year by year.
Section and Working Group (WG) activities are the prime movers of the technical movement of CIGR. Six Sections have been organizing many international conferences and symposia. Some WGs have prepared extensive manuscripts for publishing their reports. But some are not active. Based on the report of Prof. Abeels, Coordinator of WG, some working groups are now being reorganized.
Considering the future importance of information technology in agricultural engineering and related fields, a new WG of Information System was started with the Chairman, Prof. Hegg. If justified, this WG may be reorganized into a new Section within a few years.
The XIIIth World Congress was held in Rabat, Morocco in February 1998 thanks to the effort of Prof. Bekkali, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and his staff. This was the first CIGR World Congress in the African Continent and attended by the agricultural engineers from 60 countries. In the General Assembly during this congress, Prof. Bartali was elected as Incoming President. He will be the first President of CIGR from the developing region of the world. Next World Congresses are scheduled in the year 2000 in Tsukuba Science City, Japan in the memory of the 70th Anniversary of CIGR and for the Turn of the Century, and in 2002 in Chicago, USA.
The new General Secretariat in Bonn is strongly supported by the University of Bonn, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry and the City of Bonn, Germany, and is now functioning. Prof. Schulze Lammers and his staff are now making every effort to improve the effectiveness ofCIGR.
As my term as President ends, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to those members who contributed much to CIGR in the last few years, and hand everything over to the next President, Prof. Bill A. Stout. I sincerely hope all the CIGR members will support him and join the worldwide activities of CIGR.
Prof. Osamu Kitani
President of CIGR 1997-98
E-mail: kitani@brs.nihon-u.ac.jp
Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Daelemans awarded the title "Doctor honoris causa"
Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Daelemans, former Secretary General of CIGR, awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa at the University of Agricultural Sciences of Gödöllö, Hungary, for his work in connection with labour organisation. He received his title during a solemn ceremony at the beginning of the new academic year on September 7, 1998 from the Rector, Prof. Dr. Csaba Székely.
CIGR HANDBOOK OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
A comprehensive Handbook of Agricultural Engineering will be published soon. It consists of five volumes in over 2400 pages. This handbook includes up-to-date technologies related to agricultural engineering and will serve as a very essential and indispensable source of information for agricultural engineers and students in both developing and developed countries.
Main contents of the handbook are as follows :
Vol.I. Land and Water Engineering
Balancing Agriculture Between Development and Conser-vation; Land- and Water-Use Planning; Rural Roads; Land Reclamation and Conservation; Irrigation and Drainage
Vol.II Animal Production and Aquacultural Engineering
Livestock Housing and Environment; Aquacultural Engineering
Vol.III Plant Production Engineering
Machines for Crop Production; Mechanization Systems; Trends for the Future
Vol.IV Agro Processing Engineering
Grains and Grain Quality; Root Crops; Fruit and Vegetables; Grapes, Olives, and Coffee; Effluent Treatment in Agroprocessing
Vol.V Energy and Biomass Engineering
Natural Energy and Biomass; Energy for Biological Systems; Biomass Engineering
The handbook project was approved by the General Assembly of CIGR in Milan in 1994 and the Editorial Board of the CIGR Handbook was formed. The board assigned one or two Editors for each volume. These Editors were responsible for editing each volume. They nominated Co-Editors who cooperated with them. More than 110 experts in the world were nominated as authors and they contributed to the handbook. On behalf of CIGR and its Editorial Board of the Handbook, I extend my sincere gratitude to the authors, editors and publisher of the handbook.
To publish an extensive handbook of high quality and low price, CIGR made a publishing contract with ASAE in 1995. ASAE made every effort to publish this handbook rapidly keeping these two objectives in mind. We hope that many agricultural engineers and people of related fields in the world will make use of this handbook for a long time. CIGR also wishes to have this handbook translated into other languages and utilized in the countries where languages other than English are spoken.
If on reading this handbook you find something which could be improved please let us know! We would like to incorporate your opinion when we prepare the next edition.
Professor Osamu Kitani,
Chairman of the Editorial Board CIGR Handbook
E-mail: kitani@brs.nihon-u.ac.jp; FAX: 81-466-84-3770
NEWS FROM THE SECTIONS AND WORKING GROUPS
The new Section Chairmen and their addresses are as follows (effective 1 Jan 1999):
Section I: Land & Water Use: Prof. Luis Santos Pereira, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Dep. Engenharia Rural, Tapada da Ajuda, P-1399 Lisbon, Portugal.
E-mail: lspereira@isa.utl.pt
Section II: Farm Buildings, Equipment, Structures & Environment: Ir. Jan Voermans, Research Station for Pig Husbandry, P. O.Box 83 - Lunerkampweg 7, NL-5240 AB Rosmalen, The Netherlands.
E-mail: j.a.m.voermans@pv.agro.nl
Section III: Equipment Engineering For Plant Production: Prof. El Hassan Bourarach, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire (I.A.V.) Hassan II, Dép. Mach. Agric., B. P. 6202 Rabat-Instituts, Rabat, Morocco.
E-mail: ebourach@iav.refer.org.ma
Section IV: Rural Electricity & Other Energy Sources: Prof. Abdallalh Ramdani, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire (I.A.V.) Hassan II, Dép. Mach. Agric., B.P. 6202, Rabat Instituts, Rabat, Morocco.
E-mail: ramdani@magrebnet.net.ma
Section V: Management, Ergonomics and System Engineering: Prof. Tarmo Luoma, Work Efficiency Institute, P.O. Box 28, Melkonkatu 16A, FIN-00211 Helsinki, Finland.
E-mail: tarmo.luoma@tts.fi
Section VI: Processing: Prof. Margarita Ruiz Altisent, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Dep. Ingenieria Rural, Calle El Greco, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
E-mail: mruiz@iru.etsia.upm.es
Information Systems Working Group holds organizing meeting
The organizing meeting of the Working Group (WG) 18, Information Systems, coordinated by Professor Nick Sigrimis, was held during the June 1998 IFAC meeting in Athens, Greece. This followed the action of the Executive
Committee of CIGR recommending the formation of a new Working Group at its meeting at the XIIIth International Congress in Rabat, Morocco, February 1988, to evaluate the suitability of forming a new section within CIGR. The April 1998 CIGR Newsletter described the purpose and goals of the new WG. It is anticipated that a report will be given to the Executive Board at the CIGR 2000 meeting.
Name, scope and breadth of the WG needs further consideration and discussion over the Internet. A draft document is to be written for the next WG meeting. A proposed purpose statement is: "The Information Systems WG is dedicated to advancing the theory, practice, and application of computers, information processing and communications technologies in agriculture".
Where applications involve the subject of another section (i.e. control of greenhouse aerial humidity-section II) actions and activities must be cooperative. There are also fields which may belong solely in one section. For example a robotic harvester, which involves machine vision, is a "machine" and does belong to Section III (Equipment), but machine vision itself, for fruit sorting, is, for example, an "Information System". Also modern developments for "electronic trade, farm management systems, farm networks etc" do not interfere with any other section.
Assignments were made for individuals to make contact with the following organizations: IFAC, ASAE, EurAgEng, and EFITA- EUNITA, in order to make them aware of the potential linkages with the CIGR Information Systems WG. Liaisons with other organizations is vital as Information Systems is a rapidly evolving part of modern agriculture, from production to processing.
Professor Sigrimis plans to announce an Email conference on the subject of: "Name, scope and breadth" (February 1999). A second round (April 1999) will define the "activities" and "cooperative actions" with other sections and other organizations. If you are interested in participating in this Email conference please contact <n.sigrimis@computer.org>
In order to minimize conflicts, the organizing meeting participants suggested "a new section with limited scope" to leave applications of Information Technologies to other sections, as is practiced today. The new section should promote basic technologies, applications not relevant to other existing sections and cooperate on common interests. Some of the topics that may be included in this WG are: knowledge systems, geographical information systems, machine vision, information technologies, operations research, automation, robotics, radiation, instrumentation and controls, information processing, communications technologies and pattern recognition.
Your suggestions and ideas are welcome. Please contact:
Prof. Richard Hegg,
Chairman, CIGR Working Group 18
National Program Leader; USDA-CSREES-PAS
Stop 2220; Washington DC, 20250-2220
Phone 202-401-6550; Fax 202-401-5179
E-mail: rhegg@reeusda.gov
or
Prof. Nick Sigrimis, PhD
Dept of Ag Engineering
Agricultural University of Athens
Iera odos 75 - Athens 118 - GREECE
Tel: +30-1-5294036; Fax: +30-1-5294039
E-mail: n.sigrimis@computer.org
CIGR-FAO Global Network on Agricultural Engineering
The CIGR-FAO Global Network on Agricultural Engineering became operational in December 1998. This global network is a joint activity of the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR) and the Agricultural Engineering Branch (AGSE) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The network consists of six e-mail discussion groups corresponding to the six sections of CIGR. The objective of the global network is to provide an informal forum for agricultural engineers to exchange ideas and information regarding topics of relevance to the different areas of agricultural engineering. To allow a better focussing of the discussions it is split up into the specific subject matter groups. With the expected global subscription it will provide a convenient mechanism to obtain specific information and is therefore particularly valuable for agricultural engineers in the developing world.
The global network has a controlled subscription. The listowner is AGSE of FAO. Each single list in the network is moderated by the chairperson of the respective CIGR section or a moderator appointed by him/her. With this step we hope to guarantee the quality of the lists and stimulate the professional discussions.
The 6 e-mail discussion groups of the CIGR-FAO Global Network are:
CIGR-FAO-LanWat-L,
which covers the technical area of the CIGR Section I, LAND AND WATER USE, which is in particular Agricultural Engineering as applied to soil and water management such as: soil protection, improvement and conservation, drainage and irrigation systems; to land improvement and land reclamation, to rural planning and management and to rural roads and infrastructure.
CIGR-FAO-Build-L,
which covers the technical area of the CIGR Section II, FARM BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, STRUCTURES AND ENVIRONMENT, which is in particular optimization and design of animal, crop and horticultural buildings and related equipment, climate control and environmental protection, farm planning, waste management.
CIGR-FAO-EquipPlant-L,
which covers the technical area of the ClGR Section III, EQUIPMENT ENGINEERING FOR PLANT PRODUCTION, which enhances the exchange of know-how, technical studies, scientific research and practical experiences between designers of machinery (researchers in private and public sector, technical boards), manufacturers, advisers, teachers and trainers at different levels, and final users of these machines like farmers and contractors.
CIGR-FAO-Energy-L,
which covers the technical area of the CIGR Section IV, RURAL ELECTRICITY AND OTHER ENERGY SOURCES, which is in particular rural electrification and other renewable energies in developing countries; strategy profiles and techniques; renewable energies especially from organic wastes and residues - exploitation and environmental impact; measuring, control and automation in agricultural electrical applications. The topics try to cover the fields of interest of industrial countries as well as developing countries.
CIGR-FAO-SystMngm-L,
which covers the technical area of the CIGR Section V, MANAGEMENT, ERGONOMICS AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, which is in particular farm management, working methods and systems, labour and work planning, and optimization, human health, ergonomics and safety of workers, rural sociology, systems engineering.
CIGR-FAO-ProcQual-L,
which covers the technical area of the CIGR Section VI, PROCESSING, which is in particular physical properties of raw (food and nonfood) materials, quality of raw and final products, processing technologies, processing management and engineering.
For subscription to the CIGR-FAO Global Network following procedure is suggested:
- Please select from the 6 technical lists those of your interest and subscribe to these lists.
- To subscribe to a list, send a message to: mailserv@mailserv.fao.org leaving the subject blank and entering the one-line message:
SUBSCRIBE CIGR-FAO-...-L
If you want to subscribe to more than one list, you can include the multiple subscription in one message, using one separate line for each group.
EXAMPLE: You want to subscribe to the lists corresponding to section I, III and IV. Your message would be:
Subject:
subscribe CIGR-FAO-LanWat-L
subscribe CIGR-FAO-EquipPlant-L
subscribe CIGR-FAO-Energy-L
I hope to see you in the CIGR-FAO Global Network as your new listowner.
Theodor Friedrich
FAO, AGSE, Rome
E-mail: theodor.friedrich@fao.org
NEWS FROM REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SOCIETIES
EurAgEng Special Interest Group on Soil and Water
Report on the 4th Meeting
The EurAgEng Special Interest Group on Soil and Water held its 4th meeting in Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday 26 August 1998, during the AgEng ’98 Conference on Agricultural Engineering. The meeting was chaired by Prof. D. De Wrachien of the State University of Milan, and Prof. V. Ferro of the University of Palermo acted as secretary. The meeting was attended by some 30 participants from 10 different countries. In his opening speech the Chairman highlighted the progress made since the third meeting (Madrid, September 1996) and underlined the current and future activities of the Group, along with the interrelationships between the SIG and other national and international organizations which deal with the same field of knowledge. After the Chairman’s speech, Prof. Helge Lundekvam of the Department of Soil and Water Sciences of the Agricultural University of Norway delivered a key-note report on ² Water Erosion under Nordic Conditions and Strategies for its Control² . The lecture was an exhaustive review of both the physical and agronomical conditions in the nordic countries and the most suitable measures for water and wind erosion control.
Policy on Groundwater Engineering
Groundwater engineering plays a role of paramount importance in the research and development policy of the group. The emphasis is on the analysis of groundwater systems, the modelling of flow and contaminant transport processes, and the design and maintenance of comprehensive monitoring systems.With reference to these issues, the SIG has recently established a cooperation with the Italian Association of Groundwater Engineering (IRIS) – which belongs to the world-wide IAHR networking system – for joint scientific research and education and training stages, within a full european framework. The key terms are to create a permanent structure, based on the following centres:
* Department of Soil Conservation of the University of Calabria (Italy)
* Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (Switzerland)
* Institute for Land and Water Management of the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
* Laboratory of Transport in Porous Media and Fluid Mechanics of the University of Grenoble (France)
The Group expects to develop a regional forum for the groundwater engineering field and to consolidate its role in the european scientific and professional community.
Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research
Prof. A Musy of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Vice Chairman of the CIGR Section 1, complained about the little room that the Journal devotes to the Soil and Water area. Moreover, he pointed out that in the magazine’s advertisments the topic does not appear in the list of ² Research Areas² and that too few experts in this field of knowledge are included in the editorial board.
Further activities will be discussed during the next meeting of the Group, which will be held in Warwick, in July 2000, within the AgEng 2000 International Conference on "Agricultural Engineering into the Third Millennium".
Prof. Daniele De Wrachien
EurAgEng Vice President
Chairman SIG on Soil and Water
E-mail: IDRAGR@IMICILEA.CILEA.IT
Conclusions and Recommendations from the 1st Inter-Regional Conference on Environment-Water: Innovative Issues in Irrigation and Drainage
Lisbon, 16th – 18th September, 1998
The 1st Inter-Regional Conference on Environment-Water "Innovative Issues in Irrigation and Drainage" has been organized by the Portuguese National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. It was sponsored by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, (ICID), namely through its European Regional Working Group, and by the International Commission on Agricultural Engineering (CIGR) through its 1st Section, on Land and Water. Several Portuguese institutions and international organizations provided support to the conference and funded the attendance of participants from countries outside the European Union.
The 1st Inter-Regional Conference was held in Lisbon 16th-18th September, 1998. About 330 participants from 43 countries attended the Conference. 78 papers were presented orally and 41 visually as posters.
The number of papers largely exceeded all expectations, so it was necessary to publish them in two volumes. 55 papers are included in a volume titled "Water and the Environment: Innovation Issues in Irrigation and Drainage", edited by L. S. Pereira and J. W. Gowing and published by E & FN Spon, London, and 75 papers are published in a non-edited pre-congress proceedings volume, published by the Portuguese National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Lisbon.
The Conference was successful in bringing forward a strong representation of papers which focused on environmental issues in relation to irrigation, drainage and soil management. These extended beyond the traditional focus on salinisation issues, including nitrate, pesticides, herbicides, erosion, water savings. Approaches to environmental issues integrating several factors are expected as next developments. Case study presentations have been used extensively in the conference in order to draw lessons from realworld experience. This is a necessary approach to learning from action-research, but poses problems with transfer to other situations. We still have a problem presenting case studies in a way that provides general lessons. Nevertheless, this conference has helped in an international coordination in understanding and solving environmental and irrigation problems.
About a quarter of the oral and poster papers dealt with the topic "Managing the environment", namely the problems of groundwater pollution with nitrates, herbicides and pesticides, erosion, impacts of drainage on riparian ecosystems and on the hydrological cycle, salinity and acid pollution. Discussed were several ways to minimize the negative impacts of irrigation and drainage, how tillage can play a role in water management, and that new approaches are becoming available to deal with ripariam ecosystems or, for the humid tropics, how forests and rice fields could be dealt with together. From the papers presented, it can be concluded that:
Future improvements in management are most likely to be achieved through integration of modelling and field research.
1.Field research is expensive and is sensitive to uncontrolled environmental conditions within the experiment duration, but it is essential to validate innovation.
2.Modelling is scale-dependent and the incorporation of point-scale process knowledge has practical value when appropriate parameter values can be measured with confidence.
3.Modelling capability exceeds ability to parameterise and validate models at appropriate representative scales; however, appropriate methodologies are being employed, leading to positive future trends in this subject area.
4.The need to get appropriate parameters to make full use of existing models is a priority over the development of new models.
5.Long term research is required. Two typical cases are the studies on effects of tillage on solutes movement - results are often contradictory – and about the use of water of poor quality in irrigation. This last issue was poorly represented in this Conference. The fact is that we know that salts accumulate but we don’t know for how long the soil is not damaged.
6.Large scale innovative soil water management practices in the Mekong Delta show positive productivity responses from the acid sulphate soils. The analytical and methodological approach needs to be continued or extended to other regions.
7.New trends in drainage for ecosystem and landscape conservation need improved evaluation, mainly under different environmental and socio-economic conditions.
Many oral and poster papers were presented under the several topics on "Demand management", focusing how water could be saved, how pollution could be controlled, and how yields could be improved. Techniques described refer to irrigation scheduling, on-farm irrigation techniques, croping techniques and crop patterns. Some conclusions may be drawn:
1.The introduction of sugar beet cultivation in Egypt to replace sugar cane is an example of how crop diversity may achieve both improved returns to the farmer and markedly improved productivity per unit of water consumed, representing an appreciable reduction on the demand for water.
2.It was proven that demand management issues, like environment management issues, require that the farming system be considered as a whole.
3.The actual introduction of cablegation, surge flow and other automation tools to achieve real time water management are examples of modern technologies applied to improve surface irrigation. However, a problem remains: how to diffuse such technologies in the farming practice?
4.Several papers showed that field evaluations of irrigation systems contribute to detect causes of low performance and to generate the information required to improve the design and management of irrigation systems. The need to expand field evaluation in combination with models is very evident.
5.It was shown that higher on-farm irrigation performances achieve several goals: reduced demand, improved productivity per unit of water applied, lower contamination of surface and groundwaters. Work along these lines should continue.
6.New design approaches have been presented considering the help of modern technologies such as mathematical models, GIS, decision support systems. However, field validation remains necessary.
7.Innovation on irrigation scheduling has been presented, showing that large water savings could be achieved when irrigation scheduling fits the constraints of the irrigation methods.
Managing supply, including for conditions of water scarcity, was the other large theme of papers presented. Issues covered concern both design and management, irrigation supply systems and water policies. From the papers, more salient aspects are:
1.Sustainable management of water resources continues to depend to a large extent on better management of supply. This was therefore an important theme which attracted many case study presentations.
2.Performance monitoring continues to be an important issue and some innovative ideas were presented.
3.Progress is being made in automation of data collection and analysis with a view to improving control of supply systems.
4.Use of GIS and remote sensing as management tools was reported by several authors. With lower costs of data and powerful PC based systems now available, these are becoming practical aids to management.
5.Innovative approaches to defining management objectives were reported by several contributors. These embraced consideration of system boundaries in analysing performances, including efficiencies and consideration of multiple perspectives of various stakeholders.
6.There is a evident need for a common definition of drought and for adequate characterization of droughts.
7.Coping with water scarcity shows to be an area of concern. Several solutions have been presented and progresses are expected in future.
8.Despite the fact that interesting approaches were presented, more innovation on economic, legal, institutional, and social issues is required.
The papers presented to the conference, since it focused on innovation, were essentially issued from research. However discussions made it clear that inadequate attention is given to the support systems that farmers need in order to successfully achieve the cultivation of less water consumption and more environmentally friendly crops and techniques. A strong need has been identified to create appropriate interfaces between research and users, mainly the farmers.
Contributions of political, economic, social, and producers professionals need to be encouraged for future presentations. European and non-european colloraborative policies, subsidies, and foreign aid for irrigation projects need to be covered and discussed. Gaps of knowledge between policy makers and professionals require appropriate approaches.
The conference could achieve the goals, and participation has been much above the previsions, regarding the number of both participants and papers. The success of the Conference made that the next Inter-Regional Conferences Environment-Water are already being prepared. The 2nd will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, 1-3 September 1999, under the topic "Emerging technology for Sustainable Land Use and Water Management". The 3rd is being planned for Budapest, Hungary, May or June 2000, and the 4th for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Let us hope that innovation in these areas will help irrigation and drainage throughout the world to achieve better performances and to be more environmentally friendly.
Prof. Luis Santos Pereira
CIGR Section Chairman, Section I, Land and Water
E-mail: lspereira@isa.utl.pt
9th Club of Bologna Meeting
Sixty-seven experts from 30 countries and two experts representing international organisations (FAO and OECD) attended the 9th Club of Bologna Meeting, held under the auspices of CIGR, to discuss the following topics:
1.Soil cultivation: new methods and new technologies.
2.Official testing and evaluation of tractors and implements: a tool enabling farmers to assess performance, safety and environmental protection.
A brief session was also devoted to the Indian tractor industry as a preliminary information on a subject that will be extensively discussed in the coming year.
The meeting unanimously reached the following conclusions and recommendations:
1.Soil cultivation: new methods and new technologies
This very important topic was discussed on the basis of keynote reports presented by L. Cavazza (Italy), H.J. Heege (Germany), W.C.T. Chamen (U.K.) and El H. Bourarach (MA) representing the research sector, and by P: Celli (Italy); H. Weiste (Germany) and M. Hodge (U.K.) representing the viewpoint of agricultural machinery manufacturers.
The positions expressed in the reports reflected the different pedo-climatic conditions which characterise each speaker's region of origin. In his introductory lecture, L. Cavazza extensively discussed the practiced soil tillage methods, concluding that based on the many complex actions of tillage operations and their interactions with other agronomic factors, tillage and management systems have been developed. Some of these are very efficient in erosion control and building soil structure stability; their effects are more or less relevant in different conditions. The trend on a world basis indicate a certain spread of minimum tillage and no-till practices even if future developments are still uncertain. For some extensive crops this shall depend mainly on the evolution of herbicide technique, while keeping the environmental chemical pollution to an acceptable level. Dominating criteria for the farmer remain labour and equipment costs, adaptation to soils, climate and crop traits, yields. Public administrators can intervene indirectly, aiming at a general economic and social welfare as well as an environmental protection in the frame of a sustainable agriculture.
H.J. Heege, underlined the prospect that future cultivation methods and the associated technologies will be characterised by: improved adaptation to climatic conditions; reduced mechanical weed control due to advances in chemicals and genetic engineering; improved energy efficiency of processes and vehicles, with lower tractor wheel slip in the case of drawn implements, and reduced acceleration of soil particles in the case of mounted PTO driven tools; techniques utilising the straw left on the soil from the previous crop.
W.C.T. Chamen, with reference to the U.K., underlined that the method currently most widespread is based on ploughing with two successive passes for seed-bed preparation.
However, especially in consideration of the progressive reduction in international cereal prices, it is necessary to develop solutions which permit lower costs while at the same time maintaining yields. In any case, it is necessary to avoid inversion of the soil where it is subject to erosion by wind and water, and this can be achieved using disc-harrow based systems for preparing seed beds suitable for spraying with cheap herbicides, utilising appropriate seeders.
Finally, El. H. Bourarach summarised the actions of soil tillage implements and their performances in relation with adjustments, the mechanical states and the conditions of their use.
Considering the big diversity of implements, there is the need for unification of terminology also in order to help the reproducibility and the transposability of research results. The main factors to consider are: type of tool, hitch type, type of action (passive, active), operative mode, soil engaging components, angle of installation of engaging components and their arrangement etc.
Works on the mechanical state of implements and on the degree of wear of working tools and their influence on the quality of work have to be encouraged.
Concerning the new technologies available on the market, some are original, others only consistute either returns on old models or on old patents.
On their part, the manufacturers P. Celli, M. Hodge and H. Weiste stated their openness to develop any technology suggested by the research sector even if innovation is not enough today for a company to be successful. In fact, it is important to evaluate all marketing issues before starting the production. Consequently there is the need to develop technologies which can reduce operating costs while at the same time improving crop yields. Moreover, the three speakers urged for a closer cooperation within industries as well as between industries and public research institutions.
The reports also underline the need of technologies for reducing soil compaction, and pointed out the need for a more widespread development and diffusion of gantry tractors.
After an extensive and deep discussion, the participants recognized that the subject as far machines are concerned is one quite complicated to solve and recommended that every effort be made to improve integrated multidisciplinary exchanges, to define the optimal technologies and processes for each specific climatic and pedological condition with a view to reducing costs, thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness of farmers on the international marketplace; underline the need to reduce soil compaction, to improve manufacturing method, to develop information and decision support systems, G.P.S. and G.I.S. as a key factor for improving new techniques.
The participants also, recognising the gap existing between developed and developing countries, emphasised the need for extensive field demonstration campaigns of the new techniques to be diffused, possibly supported by government policies geared to promote more frequent replacement of traditional implements with the new ones based on improved solutions as well as to assist manufacturers in their activity.
2. Official testing and evaluation of tractors and implements: a tool enabling farmers to assess performance, safety and environmental protection.
Keynote reports on this topic were presented by: H. Takahashi (Japan); H.H. Bertram (Germany) and S. Liberatori (Italy). The subject was chosen in consideration of the recent development of the European activities in this sector, with the aim of defining common initiatives for their development in a period characterised by progressive market globalisation.
All the speakers agreed on the importance of certification. H. Takahashi principally discussed the testing of tractors, while H.H. Bertram and S. Liberatori covered the issue of agricultural implements. Tests of these last-mentioned machines have up to now been conducted on a voluntary basis within the various countries, and the results are only valid within the country where testing takes place.
This is not the case of tractors, which are tested following both national procedures as well as international specifications such as the OECD standards, of a world-wide validity. As far as agricultural machines are concerned a clear description was given of the initiative that is currently underway, aiming to set up a European Network (ENTAM) as a first step. Today it numbers 7 countries, which have decided to harmonise their testing standards for various machines and components in order to assure mutual recognition of their national certifications. In this way the certifications acquire international validity for all the countries belonging to the network.
The tests carried out concern performance, safety, durability of each machine, as well as the assessment of working parameters from the environmental protection standpoint.
After in depth discussions, the participants unanimously underlined the importance of carrying out tests on both tractors and implements with the objective of providing farmers and contractors with a clear comparative assessment of each machine and its performance, thereby making for an easier choice and a more transparent international market.
Furthermore, in consideration of the progressive globalisation of markets, the participants recommend that every effort be made to extend the European Network of testing and certification stations for agricultural machinery, both within Europe and in other continents, following the footsteps of the OECD experience for tractors. Given the importance of the issue, which is also of great interest to manufacturers, who on the basis of the test results obtained gain the opportunity of improving their products both technically, functionally, and from the safety point of view, the participants decide to continuously monitor the initiative. The Club's Technical Secretariat is assigned the task of checking the development of the sector, preparing annual progress reports to be presented at the future Club Meetings. All this is done with a view to prepare an instrument of policy pressure for the development of this important activity, and to enable the various countries to quickly achieve rational and comprehensive solutions in this matter.
3. Indian Tractor Industry
This preliminary lecture has been done by G. Singh who deeply analyses the present situation and the progress achieved in the last 30 years. The situation has drastically changed recently and at present almost 20 factories are producing tractors trough joint-ventures with the most well established industries in the world.
The interest of the report has convinced the participants to suggest the examination of the whole subject next year with reference to the main important countries of Asia and the Far East.
Prof. Pellizzi
Honorary President of CIGR
Milan, Italy
E-mail: giuseppe.pellizzi@unimi.it
