Current trends in electrification require the development of specialized traction electric motors that combine high power density, manufacturability, and energy efficiency. Synchronous reluctance motors are a promising solution because they offer low manufacturing costs and high maintainability, which are particularly important for agricultural machinery operating under harsh conditions. (Research purpose) The aim of this study is to develop and experimentally verify the design of an energy-efficient synchronous reluctance motor with a multilayer rotor for agricultural mobile platforms and to evaluate the effectiveness of different vector-control algorithms in maximizing torque and efficiency. (Materials and methods) A three-phase 3-kilowatt synchronous reluctance motor with a four-barrier rotor was investigated. The flux-barrier geometry was designed through parametric optimization using dimensionless coefficients. The magnetic field and the main electromagnetic characteristics, including inductance, flux linkage, and losses, were calculated using the finite element analysis in FluxMotor. Experimental verification was performed on a test bench equipped with a loading device and a frequency converter. Two control strategies were compared: sensor-based vector control and sensorless vector control. (Results and discussion) The developed rotor design with four flux barriers provided high magnetic anisotropy, with an inductance ratio of 4.08, enabling a rated torque of 31.4 newton-meters to be achieved at a current of 9.61 amperes. Compared with sensorless control, sensor-based vector control increased torque by up to 9 percent and efficiency by 2–3 percent over the entire operating speed range. Under high-load conditions, the maximum recorded efficiency reached 95 percent. Comparison of the simulated and experimental data showed good agreement, with the discrepancies not exceeding 8.2 percent for torque and 7.0 percent for efficiency. The achieved characteristics make the developed motor suitable for effective use in traction electric drives of agricultural mobile platforms. (Conclusions) The developed synchronous reluctance motor meets the requirements for traction electric drives. Its high energy efficiency, reaching up to 95 percent, combined with a simple and readily manufacturable design, can reduce operating costs, increase driving range, and improve machine productivity. Sensor-based vector-control algorithms are recommended for operating modes requiring maximum torque and efficiency, which is particularly important during energy-intensive operations such as plowing and power take-off operation.

Optimizing cattle productivity requires compliance with zoohygienic microclimate standards. Reduced productivity and impaired animal health associated with heat stress necessitate the development of adaptive microclimate control systems tailored to regional climatic conditions. (Research purpose) To develop a differentiated approach to the selection of construction materials for cowsheds and the creation of adaptive microclimate systems capable of effectively mitigating heat and cold stress in cattle. (Materials and methods) The paper analyzes the thermal performance characteristics of nine construction materials, including the heat capacity coefficient, resistance to heat transfer, and water vapor permeability, for use under the climatic conditions of eight federal districts of the Russian Federation in accordance with the current codes of practice: SP 255.1325800.2016, SP 131.13330.2020, and SP 50.13330.2024. The analysis used standard formulas for calculating thermal parameters and a regression model for thermal conductivity accounting for temperature, humidity, and phase transitions. (Results and discussion) The study identified a discrepancy between the properties of the materials studied and the regulatory requirements. A differentiated approach to the selection of construction materials for cattle housing facilities was proposed, taking regional climatic conditions into account. The required resistance to heat transfer was 2.8–3.2 square meters degrees Celsius per watt for the northern federal districts, 2.5–2.8 square meters degrees Celsius per watt for the Central and Ural federal districts, and 2.2–2.5 square meters degrees Celsius per watt for the southern federal districts, with a heat capacity coefficient of at least 50 and water vapor permeability not exceeding 0.02 milligrams per meter per hour per pascal. (Conclusions) The key novelty of the study lies in its region-specific approach: zones predominantly affected by heat or cold stress were identified, and corresponding matrices for assessing the suitability of construction material were developed. For northern regions, the study proposes increasing thermal insulation thickness by 2.5–3 times, using multilayer frame structures, and implementing active thermal regulation. For southern regions, combined systems incorporating active thermal regulation were recommended, including multilayer structures, sandwich panels, and lightweight steel structures.

In the compound feed industry, impact grinding is one of the most effective methods for processing agricultural raw materials. However, conventional approaches to the design of grinding equipment do not always adequately account for the complex probabilistic nature of particle breakage. Such equipment should ensure energy-efficient operation and uniform grinding to a specified particle-size distribution, while preventing overheating of the raw material, minimizing dust formation, and facilitating maintenance. (Research purpose) To investigate the efficiency of grain grinding based on an analysis of particle kinematics in a hammer crusher. (Materials and methods) Grain-grinding efficiency in a hammer crusher was evaluated by analyzing the kinematics of a grain kernel during their impacts with the hammer and the deck. (Results and discussion) Based on an analysis of grain-kernel kinematics during processing in a hammer crusher, relationships describing the velocities at which particles collide with the working elements of the machine were identified. Mathematical expressions were proposed for determining the efficiency coefficient of the impact-grinding process using empirically or theoretically obtained distribution functions describing the relative proportion of particles fractured at different impact velocities together with the calculated kinematic characteristics of the particle. (Conclusions) Based on impact theory, a comprehensive method for the quantitative assessment of grain grinding was substantiated. Its practical application will enable the scientifically grounded selection of optimal equipment geometry and rational operating conditions. This approach will ensure compliance with zootechnical requirements for the particle-size distribution of feeds intended for different animal groups, reduce overall energy consumption during production, and enable timely detection of critical wear of the working elements.

The paper highlights the importance of reducing the number of machines and the specific energy consumption associated with mash feed production on farms using a continuous-flow, straight-through process. A small-sizedcompound feed unit is proposed, comprising a five-component drum metering device with a five-section hopper, a hammer-type grinder-mixer, a discharge cyclone, and a system of interchangeable containers for collecting the finished feed. (Research purpose) To experimentally determine the optimal design and operating parameters of the small-sizedcompound feed unit that minimize specific energy consumption while ensuring the required quality of the finished feed. (Materials and methods) A five-component mash feed for Hisex Brown laying hens was prepared from wheat, maize, and soybean grains, crushed sunflower oil cake, and a blend of nutritional additives. The feed formulation was developed using the Kormoptima software package. A two-factor experimental design was employed. Standard and original methods were used to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative parameters of mash feed production in the small-sized compound feed unit. (Results and discussion) With the process factors set at their rational values, namely, a total feed rate of 317.7 kilograms per hour for the five feed components, a replaceable screen with apertures of 4 millimeters in diameter, and a two-blade discharge impeller with 50-millimetre-wide blades, the optimal number of hammers mounted on the drum and the optimal drum rotational speed were determined to be 12 hammers and 1,550 revolutions per minute, respectively. This combination ensures a minimum specific energy consumption of 3.317 kilowatt-hours per ton of mash feed produced and fully complies with current energy-efficiency requirements for compound feed units. (Conclusions) When operated at the established design and process parameters, the proposed small-sized compound feed unit minimizes specific energy consumption during continuous straight-through mash feed production while ensuring the required quality of the finished feed under farm conditions.

 The rapid development of light-emitting diode (LED) technology has generated growing academic and commercial interest in protected cultivation systems using artifi cial lighting. Controlled light cultivation can increase crop productivity by enhancing the amount of light energy absorbed by plants for photosynthesis. In greenhouse vegetable production, luminaires installed above the plant canopy are typically used to supplement solar radiation. However, for crops with a multi-tiered canopy structure, inter-row or intra-canopy lighting can also be applied within the phytocenosis. (Research purpose) This study aims to analyze inter-row, or intra-canopy, lighting technology as a promising method for increasing the yield of multi-tiered agricultural crops. (Materials and methods) Studies on the application of inter-row lighting were reviewed using tomato and cucumber as examples, as these crops form the basis of greenhouse vegetable production in Russia. The main lighting parameters of inter-row lighting were identifi ed, including intensity, spectral composition, supplementary lighting period, installation height, and spatial arrangement of plantgrowth luminaires. The collected materials were classifi ed and analyzed using a systems-based approach to the research problem. (Results and discussion) The optimization of the light regime is considered a key factor in overcoming the limitations caused by insufficient solar radiation and requires an interdisciplinary approach. The analysis showed that inter-row lighting can signifi cantly increase the yield of crops with a multi-tiered canopy structure, such as tomato and cucumber. This technology improves light distribution, compensates for light deficiency within the phytocenosis, enhances the photosynthetic activity of lower-tier leaves, and may delay their senescence. The paper presents data on the use of red, blue, green, and far-red radiation. Particular attention is given to green light, whose application in inter-row lighting remains insuffi ciently studied, despite its ability to penetrate deeply into the plant canopy and its potential to improve light distribution within the phytocenosis. (Conclusions) Inter-row lighting makes it possible to regulate photomorphogenesis, which is important for further increasing crop productivity and improving yield quality.

It is noted that in agriculture, fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems successfully perform the tasks of crop monitoring, pest and disease detection across large areas remote from the operator. Further improvements in unmanned aircraft speed, flight range, and payload capacity can be achieved by reducing aerodynamic drag. Research in this area is constrained by the lack of affordable experimental facilities with satisfactory operating characteristics. (Research purpose) To develop an alternative method for determining the aerodynamic drag of the objects under study. (Materials and methods) Existing experimental facilities used to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics of models were analyzed. The design of a differential aerodynamic rotary machine was described. The operating principle of the experimental facility is based on comparing the drag forces acting on the test model and a reference body. (Results and discussion) The factors limiting the development of aerodynamically efficient aircraft shapes were identified, including the high cost of wind tunnels and the disturbances generated behind the test model and the reference body during their circular motion in a standard rotary machine. It was proposed to replace the aerodynamic balance of the rotary machine with a differential mechanism, thereby exposing the test model and the reference body to identical external disturbances. (Conclusions) The use of reference bodies and a differential mechanism would increase the cost of the differential aerodynamic rotary machine by 31 percent compared with a standard rotary machine. At the same time, the accuracy of the experimental results would increase by 33 percent, approaching that achieved in wind-tunnel testing.

The use of navigation systems in agriculture enables crop seeds to be sown with the required accuracy and electronic field maps to be generated during sowing. (Research purpose) To conduct an analytical review of the use of navigation systems in cereal breeding-plot sowing technologies and to identify promising approaches to their application in newly developed robotic machines. (Materials and methods) Publications by domestic and foreign researchers in scientific journals, conference proceedings, as well as information available from open Internet sources, were analyzed using a qualitative approach. (Results and discussion) An analytical review of technologies and technical means using navigation systems in selective sowing of grain crops was conducted. The use of electronic mapping of breeding plots during cereal sowing was examined. The Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM developed automated methods for marking breeding plots based on mathematical and digital models for positioning cereal-sowing equipment within the plots. The use of navigation systems to control robotic seed-delivery devices in plot seeders was also considered. (Conclusions) The use of navigation systems in cereal breeding-plot sowing technologies makes it possible to create electronic field maps, mark fields and breeding plots, track the movement of sowing units across the field, coordinate the operation of various robotic seed-delivery devices with that of the metering units, and provide a basis for implementing and improving automatic steering functions. These capabilities are particularly important for the development of new robotic plot seeders.

The development of the System of Machines ensured strict adherence to agricultural production technologies, compatibility among the machines and implements within the System and with their power units, and the effective mechanization of agricultural operations under diverse natural and production conditions. In recent years, however, agricultural machinery manufacturers have made limited systematic efforts to develop machines as components of an integrated system. At the same time, leading research institutions, particularly the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM, have formulated principles for developing systems of technologies and machines and proposed a structure for a machine-and-technology system. A distinctive feature of the proposed System of Machines is the replacement of specific makes and models with type ranges of technical equipment. These type ranges are organized around mobile power units, primarily wheeled and tracked tractors. (Research purpose) To develop an approach to configuring machine-based technologies for industrial horticulture based on the principles of tractor-free farming. (Materials and methods) The research methodology employs a functional-modular approach, in which technical equipment is configured according to the requirements of a specific technological operation. The proposed configuration sequence includes identifying the technological operation, establishing its process requirements, and selecting the power module, technological module, running gear, and control system. (Results and discussion) The study demonstrates the feasibility of transitioning from a fixed set of machines to a configurable machine-and-technology system. For the industrial horticultural operations considered, the maximum power requirement does not exceed 10 kilowatts (14 horsepower), creating opportunities to use compact reconfigurable power modules instead of high-power tractors. (Conclusions) The proposed approach enables power units to be more effectively matched to the requirements of specific technological operations and facilitates the broader application of modular technical systems in industrial horticulture. At the same time, advances in agricultural technologies and the emergence of unmanned machinery, agrobots, robotic systems, and technical and mechatronic modules are transforming the principles of machinery configuration.

The article honors the scientific legacy of Ivan I. Artobolevsky, an outstanding twentieth-century scientist and mechanician, a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and one of the leading experts in the theory of machines and mechanisms. His work was distinguished by an engineering approach to addressing theoretical problems in mechanics. (Research purpose) To foster patriotic values, high moral standards, and creative aspirations among young scientists and engineers and to cultivate their professional commitment to their chosen field. (Materials and methods) The study used archival materials from the V.P. Goryachkin Museum, scientific articles, historical and literary works by A.N. Bogolyubov, Academician K.V. Frolov, Professor A.P. Bessonov, and other authors, as well as original scientific works and memoirs by I.I. Artobolevsky and relevant online resources. (Results and discussion) The paper outlines the life and scientific career of I.I. Artobolevsky. A distinguished student of V.P. Goryachkin and N.I. Mertsalov and a graduate of the Engineering Faculty of the Timiryazev Academy, he advanced from laboratory assistant to professor and full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Artobolevsky developed a classification of spatial mechanisms, methods of kinematic analysis, and general methods for mechanism synthesis. The paper highlights his major contributions to the dynamics of technological machines, the theory of working machines and automatic machines, robotics, manipulators, and related fields. His scientific and teaching activities were closely associated with the country’s leading educational and research institutions. For many years, his classic work Theory of Mechanisms and Machines was a foundational textbook at technical universities both in the USSR and abroad. (Conclusions) I.I. Artobolevsky’s scientific contributions to the theory of mechanisms and machines advanced the principles of machine design and significantly broadened the range of problems that could be addressed. His work also stimulated growing scientific interest in the complex “human–machine–environment” system. His professional, scientific, and creative career remains an inspiring example for young people pursuing science.

The efficiency of agricultural crop harvesting largely depends on the design of combine harvesters, which continues to evolve. This paper reviews the evolution of stripping machines for harvesting cereal and grain legume crops, from the Gallic reaper of the 1st century AD to modern stripping headers and adapters. (Research purpose) The paper aims to review evolution in the design of stripping equipment for harvesting agricultural crops and to identify promising directions for the further advancement of grain-harvesting machinery. (Materials and methods) A systematic keyword-based search for publications issued between 2006 and 2025 was conducted in eLIBRARY, CyberLeninka, Scopus, and Web of Science. The selected publications were analyzed, and a generalized comparative assessment of changes in the design of stripping equipment was performed. (Results and discussion) The key stages in the development of stripping machinery were reviewed, including the introduction of the first self-propelled O.H. stripper-harvester by the Australian company Horwood Bagshaw in 1964 and its subsequent modifications. The major manufacturers of stripping headers were identified as Shelbourne Reynolds, Slavyanka, OZON, and Effekta. Design improvements have focused on reducing grain damage, losses of free grain in the field, and losses caused by incomplete stripping. Various stripping-comb designs developed for specific crops, including wheat, rice, and lupin, were examined. Improved comb designs can substantially reduce grain losses and breakage. To enchance harvesting efficiency and crop quality, the additional use of a reel with deflector shields, separating grates in the combine feeder house, and contour-following crop lifters is proposed, particularly for harvesting lodged crops. (Conclusions) The use of specialized harvesting units based on a new low-energy principle of separating grain from the ear is proposed as a promising direction for further development. This approach enables grain harvesting not only at full maturity but also at earlier stages of ripening.

 Studying the evolution of mechanization in crop cultivation is an important scientific task for identifying current directions in the scientific and technological development of agriculture. The paper examines the development of mechanization in flax and industrial hemp cultivation and processing from the 1920s–1940s to the present day. (Research purpose) To conduct a retrospective analysis of the evolution of theoretical foundations and applied approaches to the mechanization of bast crop cultivation and processing. (Materials and methods) A systematic review of a broad range of literature sources was conducted using the historical-analytical method to trace and characterize the main stages in the development of bast crop mechanization. Particular attention was given to the organizational aspects of bast crop cultivation and processing, the evolution of harvesting technologies, and advances in the mechanization of the associated technological processes. (Results and discussion) The systematic analysis enabled the principal stages in the development of specialized harvesting machinery and processing equipment to be identified and characterized in chronological order. It was shown that, throughout the evolution of the industry’s technical equipment, rational technological processes for flax and hemp cultivation and harvesting were supported by a substantial theoretical foundation that took into account crop-specific characteristics, available resources, and the changing needs of the national economy. The study focused on modern approaches to developing bast crop harvesting methods and designing the machinery required for their practical implementation. The analysis also demonstrated that the Soviet engineering school made a significant contribution to the global development of both theoretical and applied aspects of harvesting mechanization, particularly by improving technological efficiency and reducing reliance on manual labor. (Conclusions) It was established that the transition to innovative technologies for bast crop cultivation and processing requires the development of a new generation of machinery integrating advanced automation, intelligent control systems, and artificial intelligence technologies.