Utilization and Development of Tractors in Agriculture

A special issue of AgriEngineering (ISSN 2624-7402). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Mechanization and Machinery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 503

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: safety and health of agricultural mechanization operators; maintenance and repair of agricultural mechanization; ergonomics of agricultural mechanization; exploitation of agricultural mechanization and precision agriculture

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: tractor engines; fuel consumption of agricultural machinery; agricultural tractors; maintenance and repair of agricultural mechanization; exploitation of agricultural mechanization

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vladimira Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: GIS; precision agriculture; drones; geoinformation technologies; land use management; agricultural engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the increasing challenges facing agricultural production—stemming from climate change and other contributing factors—the utilization and development of agricultural tractors must adapt to meet the demands of modern-day agriculture. Research on the exploitation of agricultural tractors can offer highly valuable data that may directly guide manufacturers in the direction of future development.

When it comes to tractor utilization, a wide array of topics emerge, including various performance effects that significantly depend on multiple operational factors, as well as fuel consumption and environmental impact. Furthermore, the development of agricultural tractors encompasses issues such as design solutions that must align with current trends in ergonomics—comfort, protection, safety, and operator health.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include the tractive performance of tractors, tractor fuel consumption, tractor exhaust emissions, noise at the tractor operator’s workstation, tractor stability, and overall tractor efficiency.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue entitled “Utilization and Development of Tractors in Agriculture”, which aims to bring together diverse interdisciplinary fields equipped with state-of-the-art, efficient, and adaptive techniques. This effort will contribute to the improvement in tractor exploitation and development—both today and in the future.

This Special Issue seeks to enhance the current understanding of the agricultural tractor. Submissions should address the aforementioned topics. These themes raise numerous questions for researchers and, to a significant extent, for agricultural tractor manufacturers, thereby enabling improvements in both utilization and development.

Dr. Željko Barač
Prof. Dr. Tomislav Jurić
Dr. Ivan Plaščak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. AgriEngineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural mechanization
  • development
  • exploitation
  • safety and health of operators
  • maintenance
  • repair
  • ergonomics and precision agriculture

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2125 KB  
Article
Surface Mapping by RPAs for Ballast Optimization and Slip Reduction in Plowing Operations
by Lucas Santos Santana, Lucas Gabryel Maciel do Santos, Josiane Maria da Silva, Aldir Carpes Marques Filho, Francesco Toscano, Enio Farias de França e Silva, Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim, Thieres George Freire da Silva and Marco Antonio Zanella
AgriEngineering 2025, 7(10), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering7100332 - 3 Oct 2025
Abstract
Driving wheel slippage in agricultural tractors is influenced by soil moisture, density, and penetration resistance. These surface variations reflect post-tillage composition, enabling dynamic mapping via Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs). This study evaluated ballast recommendations based on soil surface data and slippage percentages, correlating [...] Read more.
Driving wheel slippage in agricultural tractors is influenced by soil moisture, density, and penetration resistance. These surface variations reflect post-tillage composition, enabling dynamic mapping via Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs). This study evaluated ballast recommendations based on soil surface data and slippage percentages, correlating added wheel weights at different speeds for a tractor-reversible plow system. Six 94.5 m2 quadrants were analyzed for slippage monitored by RPA (Mavic3M-RTK) pre- and post-agricultural operation overflights and soil sampling (moisture, density, penetration resistance). A 2 × 2 factorial scheme (F-test) assessed soil-surface attribute correlations and slippage under varying ballasts (52.5–57.5 kg/hp) and speeds. Results showed slippage ranged from 4.06% (52.5 kg/hp, fourth reduced gear) to 11.32% (57.5 kg/hp, same gear), with liquid ballast and gear selection significantly impacting performance in friable clayey soil. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and spectral indices derived from RPA imagery, including Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Bare Soil Index (BSI), Green–Red Vegetation Index (GRVI), Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI), and Slope, proved effective. The approach reduced tractor slippage from 11.32% (heavy ballast, 4th gear) to 4.06% (moderate ballast, 4th gear), showing clear improvement in traction performance. The integration of indices and slope metrics supported ballast adjustment strategies, particularly for secondary plowing operations, contributing to improved traction performance and overall operational efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Development of Tractors in Agriculture)
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22 pages, 4207 KB  
Article
Performance Assessment of a Vibratory-Enhanced Plowing System for Improved Energy Efficiency and Tillage Quality on Compacted Soils
by Laurentiu Constantin Vlădutoiu, Eugen Marin, Florin Nenciu, Daniel Lateș, Ioan Catalin Persu, Mario Cristea and Dragoș Manea
AgriEngineering 2025, 7(9), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering7090304 - 18 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Compacted and degraded soils pose increasing challenges to agricultural practices, necessitating innovative approaches to soil tillage. This paper evaluates the performance of a vibratory-enhanced moldboard plowing system, designed to improve energy efficiency and tillage quality under compacted and moisture-deficient conditions, typical of low-moisture [...] Read more.
Compacted and degraded soils pose increasing challenges to agricultural practices, necessitating innovative approaches to soil tillage. This paper evaluates the performance of a vibratory-enhanced moldboard plowing system, designed to improve energy efficiency and tillage quality under compacted and moisture-deficient conditions, typical of low-moisture soils. Field experiments were conducted across four distinct Romanian regions with varying soil types and climatic conditions, all characterized by significant compaction and limited soil moisture. The vibratory system, mounted directly on each plow body, employed sinusoidal oscillations generated by a DC moto-vibrator, to reduce soil adhesion and traction force requirements, thereby lowering fuel consumption. Key parameters including fuel consumption, working speed, soil fragmentation, weed incorporation, and traction force were measured and compared with the conventional plowing method. The results showed enhanced soil fragmentation and more effective residue incorporation, along with notable reductions in traction effort and fuel use at optimal oscillation settings. These findings highlight the potential of vibratory tillage to be used as a soil preparation method for compaction-prone areas, improving the soil structure while increasing operational energy efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Development of Tractors in Agriculture)
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