• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2009

When a farmer buys a tractor, the power size of a tractor is determined by various factors such as farm size, farmer's age, farming type, topographical area of farm. Relationships between tractor selection and these factors were found. Three regression models were developed to analyze the relationship. Those models were an OLS-1 model (based on 567 samples having tractors), an OLS-2 model, and a Tobit model (both based on the 1,941 samples). Regression analysis results showed that farm size and farmer's age affected selection of power size for all models at an 1% significance level. It was also shown that some farming types also had significant relationships with the tractor power size. Upland cultivating farmers and livestock farmers had larger tractors than rice cultivating farmers, while orchard farmers had smaller tractors. As for the topographical area, only middle area had significant difference with plain area. Farmers who had a rice-transplanter or a combine had larger tractors than those who didn't.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2003

An autonomous tractor requires not only automatic steering (automatic guidance) but also automated control of tractor functions and implement operations. Examples of tractor functions include engine throttle, transmission speed, and 3-point hitch position. Implement operations include tillage, planting, and cultivating. This article provides an overview of a map-based methodology used for the implementation of autonomous field operations of agricultural tractors. The procedure for developing autonomous field operation maps were presented, and several important issues in the implementation of map-based autonomous operations were discussed. These issues included combining field operation maps, position offset, and real-time sensing and update of field operation maps.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 1996

The experiment was conducted to reduce the labor and production cost with the labor save of harvest in cultivating the onion using the machine and the results are as follows. On labor saving effect in transparent vinyl mulching, digging working hours per 10a in the case of using tractor are 55 min., fixing + turning time is 11 min.,the time of harvest is 66 min, digging working hours using cultivator are 90 min. and fixing + turning time is 9 min., but the time of hand harvesting is 693 min and 41 sec. and in digging labor saving effect, tractor shows 90% in the harvesting period and harvest by cultivator 86%. On nonmulching cases, the harvest by tractor takes 44 min. and that by cultivator does 75 min, and digging labor saving effect shows 93.6% in the tractor harvest and 89% in the cultivator harvest. Therefore, on the operation efficiency per hour, in the case of tractor with digger vinyl mulching and nonmulching show $0.091\sim0.136ha$ and in the case of cultivator with digger-both show $0.061\sim0.08ha$, but in the case of hand harvest, vinyl mulching and nonmulching are $0.008\sim0.009ha$, so in the mechanized harvest of onion, the harvest by tractor with digger is the best. On the cost and labor save for harvesting the onion with labor saving effect, tractor shows 19 hours and 26min./10a in vinyl mulching and 18 hours and 54min./10a in nonmulching, so it shows the short hours for harvesting. And labor saving effect shows 37% in comparison with 29 hours and 49 min. $\sim30$ hours and 38 min.($110,587\sim113,925won$) of the hand harvest, so the cost was reduced to $69,525\sim72,225won$. On the cultivator with diggers, vinyl mulching takes 19 hours and 49 min and nonmulching 20 hours and 2 min., so the labor saving effect and cost were reduced to $32\sim36%$($73,087\sim75,075$ won) in comparison with the hand harvest.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 1995

The experiment is conducted to reduce the labor and production cost with the labor save of harvest if cultivating the potatoes using the machine and the results are as follows. On labor saving effect in transparent vinyl mulching, digging working hours per 10a in the case of using tractor are 60 min., fixing + turning time is 5 min. and 30sec., the time of harvest is 65 min and 30sec., digging working hours using cultivator are 99 min. and fixing +turning time is 5 min. and 30sec., but the time of hand harvesting is 990 min. and in digging labor saving effect, tractor shows 94% in the harvesting period and harvest by cultivator 90%. On non mulching cases, the harvest by tractor takes 49 min. and 30 sec. and that by cultivator does 87 min. and 30 sec., and digging labor saving effect shows 94% in the tractor harvest and 90% in the cultivator harvest. Therefore, on the operation efficiency per hour, in the case of tractor with digger vinyl mulching and non mulching show, $0.091\sim0.121ha$ and in the case of cultivator with digger both show $0.057\sim0.069ha$, so in the mechanized harvest of potatoes, the harvest by tractor with digger is the best. On the cost and labor save for harvesting the potatoes with labor saving effect, tractor shows 19 hours and 20 min./10a in vinyl mulching and 19 hours. and 54 min./10a in non mulching, so it shows the short hours for harvesting. And labor saving effect shows $42\sim45%$ in comparison with 35 hours and 21 min. $\sim35$ hours and 23 min.($123,113\sim130,613$ won) of the hand harvest, so the cost was reduced to $71,250\sim72,225$ won. On the cultivator with diggers, vinyl mulching takes 19 hours and 55 min. and non mulching 19 hours and 38 min., so the labor saving effect and cost were reduced to $14\sim44%$ ($72,675\sim73,313$ won) in comparison with the hand harvest.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.457-462
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• 2000

Boom sprayers have been known by their excellency in field efficiency worker’s safety and pest control efficacy. The boom sprayer in Korea that was developed for paddy field is not suitable for upland field of which shape is irregular and inclination is steep, due to heavy chemical tank long boom width and manual on-off control of spraying. The goal of the study was to develope a boom control system that could control boom angles of left and right boom automatically and independently corresponding to local field slope. The prime mover was selected as a cultivating tractor. Main results of this study were as follows. 1. Ultrasonic sensor whose response time was 0.1s and response angle was within $\pm$20$^{\circ}$was selected to measure distance. Voltage output of the sensor(X, Volt) had a highly significant linear relationship with the vertical distance between the sensor and ground surface(Y, mm) as follows; Y=0.0036X-0.437 2. Left and right section of the boom could be folded up by a position control device(on-off control) which could control the left and right boom independently corresponding to local slope by equalizing distances between the sensor and boom at the center and left/right boom. Most reliable DB(dead band) was experimentally selected to be 75$\Omega$(6cm). 3. At traveling velocity of 0.3~0.5m/s RMS of error between desired and achieved height was less than 4.5cm The developed boom angle controller and boom linkage system were evaluated to be successful in achieving the height control accuracy target of $\pm$10cm.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2009

In the process of oyster mushroom production, loading work of culture medium needs the most intensive labor power. Therefore, development of culture medium machine causes to reduce the manpower and cost. The main objective of this study is to develop the culture medium loading machine and investigate the optimal operation conditions and to evaluate the economic value of the machine. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Optimum transporting velocity of the conveyor was 0.61 m/s 2. Optimum speed of blower was 3183 rpm at the transporting velocity of 0.61 m/s with the loading quantity of 3.41 t/hr 3. Recommendable opening area ratio of pressure controller was 1/2 at the blower speed of 3183 rpm and the transporting velocity of 0.61 m/s 4. The break even point resulted in $240\;m^2$ of cultivating area compared to the method of with portable workbench, and $350\;m^2$ of cultivating area compared to the method of with a tractor and a truck.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.109-114
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• 1996

Field experiment was carried out to investigate the annual changes of rice yield and soil properties. Hwaseongbyeo was cultivated by different tillage methods and fertilizer levels for 5 years in the paddy soil. Tilth efficiency of power tiller(PT) rotary plot was higher by 74.8％, but that of tractor tillage plot was lower by 59.0％. Water requirement in depth of no-tillage plots after rice transplanting was highest and also those of the early growing stage was higher than those of the middle growing stage. Rice yield of PT rotary plot by recommended fertilizer application was increased by 17％ than that of no-tillage plot by conventional fertilizer application. By the rotary of PT and tractor, rice yield increased by 6-17％ than those of no-tillage. In case of cultivating years, rice yield of 2nd year was highest, but that of 4th year was lowest. Soil bulk density and solid phase of no-tillage plot which took not tillage were highest than the other plots. The changes of soil chemical properties in the all treatments had not definite tendency.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.31 no.3 s.116
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• pp.146-152
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• 2006

Most upland in Korea have irregular field shapes. Boom sprayers working alone winding row will show considerable differences of spraying amount per unit area between left and right booms. If flow rates of both booms are equal. This phenomenon becomes significant as steering radius of sprayer decreases. This study was performed to seek a method which reduce the difference of the spray amount between left, right and center booms while spraying along curvy rows. A flow rate control method for keeping application rate of each boom section constant was proposed and experimentally proved using a boom sprayer attached to a cultivating tractor. The flow rate control device was composed of 3 ball valves and a rotary angle sensor. The rotary angle sensor showed a symmetric voltage output with respect to steering radius. The spray overlapping was happened in a boom nearby the steering center when steering radius of the sprayer was less than 5.2 m. Flow rates for left, right and center booms were regulated using ball valves based on the steering radius and spraying areas ration of right/left boom. The Maximum spraying area ratio ($S_{LR}$) of left to right boom section was 1:3.6 at the steering radius of 5.2 m. However, The Maximum achieved right and left spraying flow ratio was 1:2.7.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.64-76
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• 2003

This study was conducted in order to find out the basic data and informations for the accidents for repairing of agricultural machines. This study was summarized as fellows : 1. Among the total repair work, the ratio of repair accident was 68.9% and the accident ratio with power tiller, tractor, and combine was 84.8%. The accident occurred frequently in April to May and September to October because of frequent use of machines during this months. The accidents occurred often of ten to eleven and two to three afternoon in a day. 2. The 36.3% of the accident types was farming machines and the 60.4% of the accident occurred in yard of repair shop. The 34.4% of accident was caused by people, 26.2% by machines, 24.9% by environmental factors, and 14.5% by others. 3. In accident damage, human damage was 98.4% and economic damage was 43.6%. There was only 40.2% in having agricultural machinery insurance and 22.5% of research applicant answered that they would not have insurance in the future. 4. The 58.2% of the injured parts occurred in fingers, hands, wrists, or arms and the 74.4% of the damage types were bruise, prick or abrasion. The damaged parts of machinery were belt of power transmission device, chains, sharpened knives, narrow mechanism or cultivating knives for rotary. 5. The average days of medical treatment for casualty was 15.5 days and the average expense of medical treatment per person was 189,200 won. The days of temporary rest and the economic damage per person due to accident were 12.8 days and 469,300 won.