79543 - Sustainable And Safe Use Of Horticultural Equipment

Learning outcomes

The course will provide knowledge on safety requirements adopted in the European countries for horticultural equipment. Key concepts on the safe use of tractors and agricultural equipment in view of the economic and environmental sustainability. Crop protection equipment for a sustainable horticulture.

Course contents

Tractors and power units: pedestrian controlled, ride-on garden tractors, narrow-track tractors for orchards and vineyards. Driving controls and instruments. Transmissions, steering, wheels and tyres. Tractors fitment to increase the safety of the operators with respect to rollover, falling objects, vibrations, noise level. Safe use of tractors on the road and in the field.

Sprayers: parts, controls, settings, calibration of boom, orchard and vineyard machinery. adjustment to reduce environmental contamination. Protection of the operator from hazardous substances in spray application.

Fertiliser distributor: controls, adjustment, calibration and maintenance of hand and tractor operated spreader.

International requirements to assess the safety performance of tractors and machinery for orchards and horticulture, with specific attention to the requirements for a sustainable use of pesticides.

Readings/Bibliography

Ajit K. Srivastava, Carroll E. Goering, Roger P. Rohrbach, Dennis R. Buckmaster- Engineering Principles of agricultural machines 2nd Edition– ASABE St. Joseph, Michigan

EC Directives related to a safe use of machinery

EC Directives related to sustainable use of pesticides

OECD ROPS Standard Codes

Teaching methods

The course is structured on frontal lectures (36 hours) to explain the fundamentals of tractors and machinery, the management of the crop spraying, the correct use of pesticides, adjustment and maintenance of the machines the safe use of machinery. Lectures are associated to lab exercises (24 hours) on sprayer performance evaluation, setting and calibration, tractors safety, standardised tests for tractors and machinery with respect to safety requirements. Guided visits to manufacturing companies of sprayers and to farms specialised in orchard and horticulture production are also planned to support the comprehension of subjects dealt with in lectures.

Assessment methods

The assessment consists of an oral examination intended to assess the critical and methodological skills of the student, the organic vision of the subjects and the expression and specific language.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations.
Selected papers.

Office hours

See the website of Valda Rondelli