2023 Machinery & Equipment Systems Skill Activity

UPDATED November 11, 2022

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Contact Information:

Dr. P. Ryan Saucier, Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering Technology

ryansaucier@shsu.edu
Sam Houston State University
936-294-4883

Purpose

The purpose of this skill activity is to evaluate students’ knowledge and ability to maintain, repair and trouble-shoot machine and equipment systems used in modern agriculture operations. Students should be familiar with the fundamentals of machine operation, safety, maintenance, system operations, and best management practices.

Machinery

A machine will be announced at a later date!

Note:

All students must wear safety glasses during the skill activities. To enter the CDE area, students must have safety glasses in their possession.

Students should be familiar with the following concepts found in the 2017-2021Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems Handbook at: https://www.ffa.org/participate/cdes/agricultural-technology/

One of the largest aspects of the world’s agricultural industry is crop production. This year, the Machinery and Equipment Systems Skill will focus on the integration of machinery in this area of agricultural production and focus on solving the preparation of the soil, planting of crops, and harvesting of crops. In order to facilitate these tasks, an agriculturalist must be educated about machinery management, selection, and maintenance. In 2023, students will be asked to complete one or more of the following activities that may involve a tandem disc, a seed drill, a combine, a forage harvester, or a field sprayer.

***Teachers and Students, due to the size of the machinery that will be used in this year’s Machinery and Equipment Skill Activity, the machine could be positioned outside. Therefore, please be ready for inclement weather and low temperatures. ***

Possible activities for the 2023 event

Identify parts of the machine
Calibrate ground speed of the machine
Calculate land area
Calculate land, seed populations, and harvest loss, harvests, and capacities
Identify maintenance requirements for the machinery
Perform maintenance on the machinery
Adjust components on the machinery
Select lubricants for the machinery
Identify functions of the machinery
Identify and compute harvest loss
Prepare machinery for storage
Explain principles of machinery management
Identify repair procedures and techniques for machinery
Check and adjust drive-line components on machinery
Adjust equipment hitches and drives for machinery
Select and use test equipment including meters, tachometers, and timing devices to determine proper machine operation for machinery
Adjust equipment for field and crop conditions for machinery
Select and use appropriate safety equipment for machinery
Identify safe machinery operation practices for field and highway conditions for machinery
Select fuels, lubricants, and hydraulic fluids and coolants for proper operation for machinery
Operation and interpretation of circuit diagrams and flowcharts for: electrical, hydraulic, fuel, oil, cooling, intake, and exhaust systems for machinery
Match tractors to implements for machinery

Event-Related Competencies

Identify safe machinery operational practices.
Identify the recommended service and maintenance operations from the operator’s manual.
Select lubricants for machinery and equipment.
Identify functions of machinery components.
Identify safe adjustment [level] on power equipment.
Identify repair procedures, techniques and materials.
Install, adjust and service belt and chain drives.
Inflate tires to proper air pressure (e.g., load inflation tables).
Select tools and materials for specific repair jobs.
Select and use appropriate safety equipment.
Identify the recommended service and maintenance operations from the operator’s manual.

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Content Standards

CST.01.02.01.b.
CST.01.02.01.c.
CST.01.02.02.b.
CST.01.02.02.c.
PST.01.02.01.b.
PST.01.02.03.b.
PST.01.02.03.c.
PST.02.01.02.c.
PST.02.02.01.c.
PST.02.02.02.b.
PST.02.02.02.c.
PST.03.02.01.b.
PST.03.02.02.b.
PST.03.02.02.c.

List of Resources:

Books:

Field, H. L., & Solie, J. B. (2007). Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Technology, A problem Solving Approach (3rd ed.), American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. ISBN # 978-0-387-36915-0
Herren, R.V. (2015). Agricultural mechanics: Fundamentals and applications (7^th ed.), Cengage Learning. Stamford, CT. ISBN # 978-1-285-05895-5
Hunt, D. (2016). Farm power and machinery management (11^th ed.), Waveland Press, Inc. Long Grove, Il.
University of Missouri Extension, Measuring and reducing soybean harvest losses, https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/8207/MeasuringReducingSoybeanHarvestingLosses.pdf;sequence=1
Iowa State University, Combine harvest settings to reduce grain loss and improve grain quality, https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/entities/publication/46aaef34-1180-4185-bac4-df413d8aad0c
Penn State Extension, Calibration of Grain/ Seed Drills, https://extension.psu.edu/calibration-of-grain-seed-drills
University of Georgia, Preparing and Calibrating a No-Till or Conventional Drill for Establishing Forage or Cover Crops, https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1510
USDA, Tillage Equipment, https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2021-03/NRCS%20tillage%20equipment%20guide_updated%202017.pdf
University of Minnesota Extension, Economics of Tillage, https://extension.umn.edu/soil-management-and-health/economics-tillage
University of Minnesota Extension, Tillage Implements, https://extension.umn.edu/soil-management-and-health/tillage-implements-purpose-and-ideal-use
University of Georgia, Selecting a Round Baler, https://site.extension.uga.edu/forageteam/2017/08/selecting-a-round-baler/
Texas A&M University, Round Baler Safety, https://agrilife.org/agsafety/files/2011/06/ROUND-BALER-SAFETY1.pdf
Texas A&M University, Hay: Making, Storing, Feeding http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/publications/E-170.pdf
Colorado State University, Sprayer Calibration Fundamentals, https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/farmmgt/05003.pdf
Oklahoma State University, Sprayer Calibration, https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/cotton/site-files/docs/sprayer-calibration.pdf
Tee Jet Catalog 51a https://www.teejet.com/-/media/dam/agricultural/usa/sales-material/catalog/cat51a_us.pdf

Fundamentals of Service Series

John Deere Publishing (2015). Preventative maintenance. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Bearings and seals. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Electronic and electrical systems. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Engines. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Fuels, lubricants, coolants, and filters. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Hydraulics. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Hydraulic systems diagnostics. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Powertrains. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Belts and chains. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Fasteners. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Hoses, tubing, and connectors. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Tires and tracks. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.

Fundamentals of Machine Operation

John Deere Publishing (2015). Combine harvesting. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Hay and forage harvesting. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Preventative maintenance. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Tillage. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.
John Deere Publishing (2015). Tractors. John Deere Publishing. Davenport, IA.

Online References

Field Capacity

Machinery Management and Economics