The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at .
Please consult the web for updates that may occur during the year.
This course examines the functional requirements of the major groups of machinery and investigates the engineering principles and subsystems which underlie their operation. It develops the knowledge and skills necessary to analyse and predict machine performance, and to advise and assist farmers in the choice and efficient operation of a wide range of machinery. It also includes discussions of alternative energy resources and uses in agriculture as well as recent applications and industry developments in automation and precision agriculture. Tractor performance and testing are investigated. Tillage, planting, spraying and harvesting machinery are described and analysed. The thermodynamics of grain drying and controlled environments are also investigated. The course uses real world data sets from both field and lab work to show how the theory is related to practice.
