AGRICULTURAL MECHANISATION and labour organisation

Knowledge and skills

The course covers the rational use of agricultural machinery and the organisation of work on farms where machinery is used for agricultural activities, taking into account and integrating the technical and technological aspects, as well as the agronomic, socio-economic and environmental constraints that arise in different territorial contexts.

Ability to apply knowledge and skills

At the end of the course of lectures and practical exercises, students will be able to: 

 - correctly set up and evaluate the organisation of work on mechanised farms;

 - proceed with the mechanisation of farms, designing machine fleets in relation to business objectives and agronomic, socio-economic and environmental constraints;

- take into account and organise the technical, technological, environmental, economic and human factors that contribute to the achievement of objectives;

- operate with respect for natural and environmental resources and in accordance with ergonomic and operator safety criteria.

Independent judgement

Through seminars and educational visits, students will acquire the skills necessary to define the criteria for choosing machinery based on company objectives, while respecting the local area and the environment.

Communication skills

Classroom exercises and active participation during lessons will enable students to develop appropriate technical language and improve their communication skills.

Learning skills

Students will acquire technical and professional knowledge useful for entering the world of work and/or higher education.

Lectures, with presentations of case studies, technical examination, drafting of technical papers.

If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported Syllabus.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs)

The course addresses issues relating to work organisation and the choice of agricultural machinery fleets in relation to an analysis of the operating context. It then goes on to address aspects of calculating the costs of machinery fleets and defines the threshold of convenience. A project is drawn up to design a machinery fleet or verify an existing one. Group management, idea formation and motivation complete the course.

1  - Professor’s hand out and power point (in function of the managed topics)

2  - M. Lazzari e F. Mazzetto – Meccanica e Meccanizzazione – Ed. Reda

3 - L. Bodria, G. Pellizzi, P. Piccarolo - Meccanica e Meccanizzazione Agricola - Edagricole

Final oral examination. This includes the discussion of a project written by 1 or a maximum of 3 students, which addresses the design of a machine fleet or the verification of an existing machine fleet, written according to guidelines discussed in class and published in the teaching materials. The project is written in collaboration with the lecturer and colleagues who attend the scheduled meetings and must be sent to the lecturer no later than 4 days before the exam date.

The oral interview is assessed on the basis of the relevance, accuracy and comprehensibility of the answers, the ability to make connections between the topics in the programme and to give examples consistent with the topic under discussion, the quality of the content and the appropriateness of the technical language used.

Elementary phases of work and work capacity of machinery fleets.

Covered areas and working times in machines with release of materials.

Evaluation parameters of the machinery fleets.

Calculation of the farm - financing quota for the purchase of machinery and equipment. 

Annual and hourly costs, formulas and graphs.