COVER FEATURE
INGENIEUR
Agricultural Mechanisation and Automation for Precision Farming
By Muhammad Razif Mahadi , Aimrun Wayayok , Muhammad Saufi Mohd Kassim Senior Lecturer , Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Ahmad Fikri Abdullah Associate Professor , Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Agriculture involves a wide variety
of operations . The term agriculture encompasses broad activities which include crop cultivation , animal rearing and aquaculture , that provide food and materials for human basic needs . The nature of work varies greatly , but these activities can be broadly classified into preparation , maintenance , harvest and processing .
Agriculture is labourious and requires a lot of manpower to be effective . Since the beginning of agriculture , people have sought ways and invented numerous devices , ranging from simple tools , animal powered equipment to complex vehicles such as tractors and combine harvesters to reduce human activities . This is called mechanisation . The aim of mechanisation is not just to replace people with machines however , but also to significantly increase production to meet the demands of the growing population ( Lu , 2009 ). Automation implies the capability of machines to perform with minimal human interaction .
The biggest challenge in agricultural mechanisation is meeting the need to comply with food security and sovereignty ( De Clercq et al ., 2018 ). The cost of production must be kept at minimum , otherwise it would create famine due to the inability of lower income societies to obtain sufficient food at a reasonable cost . However , advancement in other technology areas has lowered the cost of high-tech components ( McNulty , 2009 ). Nowadays , a single board computer such as the Raspberry Pi , fully equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless communication can be obtained for around RM300 . The Raspberry Pi has the power of a full computer to run various automated devices . Therefore , more work can be mechanised , and automation technology can be incorporated . As the population continues to grow , agricultural areas can no longer expand , so the next challenge is to increase production through higher efficiency but using the same land area . Precision farming aims at utilising resources precisely . Blackmore et al ., ( 2005 ) described precision farming as “ doing the right thing in the right place at the right time with the right amount .” In precision farming , a new paradigm has been established that defines how future machines should be designed and operated . This article provides a brief overview of the development of agricultural mechanisation and automation with emphasis on precision farming .
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT
In general , mechanisation and automation based on precision farming define a new set of machines for many agricultural operations . The key element is the integration of instrumentation to measure many important parameters . For instance , prior to planting , farmers are able to scan the land area to determine the fertility rate which varies from zone
6 VOL 84 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020