The use of small-sized tractors in agriculture

Abstract

The most complex and expensive machines on the agricultural machinery market are tractors and combines. The number of agricultural tractors produced in Russia in 2019 amounted to 3,798 units, but only 38.7 of them are domestic, and 61.3% are foreign cars assembled in Russia. All tractors are classified according to purpose, type of propulsion unit and type of frame. By the type of mover, wheeled and tracked tractors are the most common. Wheeled tractors are easy to manufacture, operate, maintain, have a lower cost, and are more versatile. Caterpillar tractors, in turn, are more effective on waterlogged and loose soils, since, due to the larger support area, they have less impact on the ground. The share of small-scale enterprises in gross agricultural production in 2020 increased to 14.3% due to the implementation of state programs for the development of small agribusiness. This category of farms produces about a third of the total volume of grain - 39.4 million tons. Despite the significant role of small-scale enterprises in the agricultural economy of Russia, this category of farms is not sufficiently provided with the necessary agricultural machinery, such as small tractors with the necessary attachments. Moreover, the demand for domestically produced mini tractors is growing every year due to their versatility, operational reliability and ease of maintenance. The lack of mini-tractors in the consumer market forces farmers to use tractors of traction class 1.4 and 2 in the production of products, which leads to excessive pressure on the ground, its overcompaction and destruction of the structure. In addition, on small-area fields with difficult terrain for the operation of equipment, it is impossible to fully implement the efficiency of tractors of this traction class. These factors substantiate the need for further development and manufacture of mini-tractors, taking into account existing global trends, such as the use of artificial intelligence, which includes decision support systems, expert systems, autonomous robots and robotic systems, as well as unmanned units.