Currently implemented project “Russian-Finnish Bioeconomy Competence Сentre – BioCom” within South-East Finland – Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 aims to integrate the BioEconomy principles and approaches into the agricultural sector of the neighbouring border areas of Russia and Finland. The energy efficiency of farming and sustainable use of energy resources is one of the fundamentals of the bio-economy concept. The energy audit is the first step in identifying opportunities to reduce the energy inputs on the farms.

(Research purpose) To discover the new approaches to the energy auditing of agricultural enterprises and new assessment indicators following the project experience.

(Materials and methods) Four farms were selected for the energy inspection – two farms located in the Leningrad Region, Russia, and two farms located in the South Savo Region, Finland. In Russia the standard energy auditing, measurement, and calculation procedure was applied. The systems of electrical power supply, heat supply, water supply, sewage, and building envelopes on the farms were examined and estimated.

(Results and discussion) Following the outcomes of the energy audits in the project framework and the previous relevant experience, the basic energy-saving and efficiency improvement measures were established. Three new approaches to the energy auditing of agricultural enterprises were suggested – energy and environmental assessment of applied technologies and equipment; consideration of the application of renewable energy-generating sources; consideration of the conversion of vehicles to biogas.

(Conclusions) The study outcomes proved the energy audits to play an important role in improving the energy efficiency of agricultural production provided they are mandatory, take into account the energy environmental assessment criteria, consider the application of renewable energy-generating sources and the conversion of vehicles to biogas.

Modern highly mechanized agricultural production is characterized by the incompatibility of simultaneous matching of the maximum pressure of agricultural mobile equipment movers on the soil and the possibility of increasing the tractors energy saturation when equipping them with existing wheel engines.

(Research purpose) To coordinate the maximum pressure on the soil with the permissible norms, weight utilization factors and the level of tractors energy saturation.

(Materials and methods) The authors used a calculated method for determining the maximum pressure on the soil using a universal tire characteristic.

(Results and discussion) The authors found that when performing spring works on closing moisture and sowing row crops at a maximum pressure of 80 kilopascals, corresponding to all types of soil, the most mass universal row tractor Belarus 1020 had a maximum pressure of 150 kilopascals, which was 70 kilopascals higher than the permissible one for the corresponding crop shortage. They found that replacing ordinary tires with agrophilic tires could increase the area of the contact spot by 16 percent, while reducing the coefficient of unevenness and increasing the coefficient of use of the adhesion weight. The main condition for replacing ordinary tires with agrophilic tires was to keep the traction force unchanged.

(Conclusions) Summarizing the results of the research as agrophilic direction, ensuring the compliance impacts on soil and positively solving the problems of saturation, it is possible to recommend the development of navigation systems in achieving utilization hitch weight equal to 0.5 (low tire pressure), equal to 0.6 (rubber joint with torsion bar suspension) and 0.7 (rubber track). It was found that the conducted research, taking into account the available data on traction tests of the T-250 tractor, would allow to include an agrophilic concept with a hypothetical dependence of the adhesion weight use factor on the longitudinal unevenness coefficient in the revised State Standard 27021-86 “Agricultural and forestry Tractors. Traction classes”.

The authors showed that during carrot harvesting by diggers, strong soil lumps were formed that were poorly separated from root crops and complicated the separation process, which leaded to machines overloading, due to the variability of the physical and mechanical soil properties. A lattice loosening working body was developed that improved the digger elevator separating ability.

(Research purpose) To substantiate lattice ripper parameters of the carrot digger, which provides intensive loosening of the soil and thereby increases the impurities separation completeness with minimal root crops damage.

(Materials and methods) The authors researched geometric, kinematic parameters of lattice ripper of the carrot digger. They theoretically substantiated the design parameters of the mechanism and its kinematic parameters after they studied the physicomechanical properties of the carrot bed.

(Results and discussion) The authors found that during the interaction of the lattice ripper with soil layers on the elevator, soil lumps were destroyed, the soil was loosened with the following parameters: the ripper radius was not more than 9.5 centimeters, the height of the shaft was 20 centimeters, the blade submerged part was 6 centimeters, the width of the lattice ripper was 47 centimeters.

(Conclusions) It was revealed that lattice ripper promoted intensive separation of the soil layer without damage and loss of carrot root crops. The authors proved that the peripheral speed of the lattice ripper should be no more than 2.5 meters per second, the kinematic mode of the separation intensification means should be 2.5, and the radius of the ripper should be no more than 9.5 centimeters.

The creation of compact robotic milking manipulators involves their use not only in single-box robotic milking stations (monobox), but also in milking parlors such as “Parallel” or “Carousel” with a capacity of up to simultaneously milking 120 heads.

(Research purpose) To substantiate milking parlors technological schemes and options for their use on livestock farms of various capacities.

(Materials and methods) The authors studied the organizing experience of machine and robot milking system for cattle in the Russian Federation and foreign countries, leading in milk production. They analyzed the assortment of machines for dairy farming. Based on the results of simulation in the Any Logic software, they proposed the concepts of robotic milking systems. They compared the throughput when performing milking service operations with robotic types of milking machines and standard systems operated by the manipulator.

(Results and discussion) The authors performed calculations and gave a comparative assessment of the duration of the service cycles for animals in automated and robotic milking parlors of various configurations: “Fan”, “Herring-bone”, “Parallel”. To reduce the capital intensity of robotic facilities, to increase the level of production process execution accuracy, to reduce the time required to service animals, a robotic animal sanitation system was proposed at the entrance to the milking parlor. The authors proved that the introduction of the proposed configuration of robotic milking parlors would reduce the capital intensity of equipment in comparison with single-box models of robotic milking stations. They noted the advantages of such systems: the general infrastructure of the component base (milk pipelines, milk receivers, automatic rinsing, etc.) and was not separated by different streams.

(Conclusions) The authors revealed the optimal ratio of the number of milking posts and medical stations – 13:1. It was proved that it provided maximum labor productivity for a robotic milking parlor. According to the results of theoretical calculations, it was determined that the proposed robotics schemes for milking parlors exceed the productivity of existing single-box robotic milking stations.

The concept of biotechnical systems belongs to the class of human-machine systems or human–machine–plant systems, human–machine–animal systems. The latter relate to agriculture and the livestock industry. In agricultural production, biotechnical systems have the properties of bimodality, when there are two or more biological objects, a person as a managing operator and a service object (plants, animals).

(Research purpose) The research purpose is in analyzing trends in the development of biomachine and technical systems in order to further intellectualize and digitalize agricultural production.

(Materials and methods) There are two approaches in the study of human-machine systems: anthropocentric and machine-centric; the first one assigns a crucial role to the person, the second one – to the machine.

(Results and discussion) The article presents the functionality of the Human and Machine subsystems. Part of the functions of the Human operator will gradually be transferred to the Machine, and the Human operator will be transformed into a human Expert and a human User. The article presents a scheme for an intelligent biotechnical system in animal husbandry, and determines the coefficients of adaptation of local automated and robotic biotechnical systems to biological objects. Authors have created a scheme for the functioning of local biotechnical systems in a partially autonomous multi-agent control mode, and identifies criteria for evaluating the functioning of local biotechnical systems.

(Conclusions) We need to strengthen the Machine factor on the basis of developing machine-centric models and convert complex three-tier system of biotech in animal husbandry in two-tier with the polarization of the human Expert, human User and Machine–Animal subsystems. The latter absorbs more and more intelligent functions that are passed by a Man, for which it retained control, coordination and management of the entire system.

Assessing the robotization level of technological processes in livestock complexes based on the breeding, authors found that the most free niche of robotization of technological processes in livestock complexes is the feeding process, which forms 55 percent of milk productivity. There is a need to develop a wheeled robotic platform that will ensure the availability of the feed mixture along the feeding front. This platform will multi-stage saturate the bulky components of the feed mixture with concentrated ones, increasing their attractiveness to animals, while normalizing the balance of dry matter consumed and fiber obtained from bulky feeds.

(Research purpose) To simulate the control system of a robotic platform with an independent electro- motorized drive.

(Materials and methods) The article presents technologies for organizing animal feeding processes on the farm, conducted a technological assessment of the effectiveness of automated and robotic machines used on the farm. Authors used the Matlab/Simulink simulation environment in the research process.

(Results and discussion) The article presents a developed mathematical model describing the kinematics and dynamics of the platform movement. Authors formed the assumed element base into a general model of the robot in an artificial Matlab/Simulink environment, simulating the process of moving around a circle.

(Conclusions) The created mathematical model forms the basis for creating a control system for the robot under development. The device for dosing feed additives will ensure the balance of dry matter and fiber consumed.

Reduction of energy consumption in technological processes of cooling and storage milk on farms is urgent task.

(Research purpose) The research purpose is in reducing the energy intensity of the milk cooling process on farms while maintaining its quality.

(Materials and methods) The authors conducted research to improve existing and create new smart combined cooling systems based on the rational use of natural and artificial cold sources with means of its accumulation and environmentally friendly coolants with low freezing point.

(Results and discussion) The authors have found the dependence of the amount of energy that can be used for cooling and storage of milk and dispersed into the environment on the potential of natural cold of the area and the location of the technological object. The article presents a methodology for assessing the potential of natural cold for different regions of Russia. According to the methodology, authors calculated the values of the ice storage capacities for dairy farms with different livestock and annual milk yield. The article presents the diagram of electric energy savings when using natural cold to cooling milk on farms of 400 heads with a yield of 5000 liters in different climatic regions of Russia. Significant energy savings can be obtained through the use of combined accumulators of natural and artificial cold using environmentally friendly coolants with low freezing point and ground ice storage, in which the freezing of soil and water is carried out due to the ground cooling thermal installation with twophase thermosyphons.

(Conclusions) The use of smart combined milk cooling systems on farms on the basis of sources of natural and artificial cold with means of its accumulation and environmentally friendly coolants with low freezing point allows to reduce energy consumption in 1.5-3 times at preservation of its quality. At the same time, such systems in various configurations can be effectively used in all agroclimatic regions of the country.

Strategic plans for the economic development of the Russian Federation involve an increase in demand for natural fiber products, including linen, which will require an increase in the production of domestic linen in the near future. The authors examined the most important problems of scientific support for production increasing and the quality of flax products improving in the Russian Federation.

(Research purpose) To assess the flax growing state and identify the problems of scientific support for improving the flax production quality.

(Materials and methods) The authors studied the organizational aspects of fl ax cultivation and processing, new ways of harvesting crops, issues of technological processes mechanization and the state of farms’ technical equipment.

(Results and discussion) The authors showed that the share of flax use in industrialized countries reached 24 percent in the textiles, paper, and composite materials production. They found out that the mechanization level at the flax mills did not exceed 40 percent. They presented a comparative analysis of the intensification level of Western European and domestic flax growing. They confirmed that separate cleaning technology could be applied on average at 25-30 percent of the harvested area, depending on weather conditions. It was determined that approximately 90 percent of treated plant fibres were received using a dewy lobe in Russia and abroad. The authors developed a new method of cleaning flax and a multifunctional unit for its implementation. During the experiments, they established a 50 percent increase in the productivity of new technical equipment, a 60 percent reduction in the heap content, and a 3-fold reduction in seed losses compared to harvesting with the LK-4A flax harvester. They showed the advantages of the method of the tape wrapping on linen, which created equal conditions for aging for the upper and lower layers, which was especially effective when the straw yield was more than 3.5 tons per hectare. Wrapping helped to increase the uniformity of straw in color in the upper and lower layers of the tape and increased the quality and quantity of flax seeds.

(Conclusions) It was established that in order to increase the flax growing efficiency, a comprehensive modernization was necessary, which involved the solution of organizational, agronomic, technological and engineering issues.

The authors presented the results of laboratory studies of artificial soil based on sand-paraffin mixtures, reflecting the physical and mechanical soil properties with the presence of plant residues. They conducted tests to determine the soil-cutting working bodies’ traction resistance during tillage with the presence of root and crop residues.

(Research purpose) To substantiate the parameters of an artificial soil environment containing models of root and crop residues for laboratory studies of the wear and traction characteristics of soil-cutting working bodies operated on post-harvest, virgin and fallow farmland.

(Materials and methods) An artificial soil environment was developed by introducing filamentous components 5-25 millimeters long into its composition.

(Results and discussion) The authors determined the criteria of geometric similarity “model – nature” for the soil conditions of the Non-Black Earth Zone of Russia. It was found that the equality of the criteria “model – nature” for laboratory research of fallow lands occurred when the length of the  filamentous components was from 20 mm and the concentration was from 20 segments per unit cross-sectional area when passing 0.1 meter in artificial soil. It was revealed that for modeling old arable lands, the length of the filamentous components should exceed 5 millimeters, the concentration should be from 10 segments per 0.1 meter of the length of passage in artificial soil. The authors conducted field tests of arable units on fallow and old arable lands.

(Conclusions) The authors found out that the equality of the geometric criteria for the similarity of the artificial soil environment and real soil conditions allowed laboratory studies of the wear and traction characteristics of the tillage working bodies’ blades. It was determined that more than 30 percent of energy costs were accounted for by breaking the root system of the vegetation cover on virgin and fallow lands.

The authors showed that strip sowing with the paw plowshare allows soybean plants to branch better, and branches with leaves of nearby rows do not close for a long time, mowing vegetation between the strips reduces the total number of weeds, the chemical load on the crops, and ensures environmental safety of the products.

(Research purpose) To determine the seed distribution parameters by the paw plowshare according to the area of the sowing strip and the depth of seed placement, to establish the effect of the plowshare of different types on the weediness of crops and soybean yield after various preceding crops.

(Materials and methods) The authors studied the equability of soybean seeds distribution with the paw plowshare on the surface of the grooved tub, adhesive tape, and in the soil according to the following indicators: spread width, number of seeds per unit area, and placement depth. They conducted a comparative field experiment; in different years according to meteorological conditions, on a typical meadow black earth soil, soybean was sown with seeders with plowshare of two designs after various preceding crops: steam, wheat and soy.

(Results and discussion) It was determined that the paw plowshare the specified sowing row width of 0.18-0.20 meters at the channel soil at a depth of 0.05 meters. The deviation from the equability of the sown seeds distribution over the area was determined 0.93-1.56 percent. It was found that strip sowing with the paw plowshare and further mowing of weeds between the strips reduced the weediness of soybean crops after fallow land by 67.7 percent, after wheat by 66.5 percent and after soybean by 65.4 percent, increasing its yield compared to ordinary sowing with a disc plowshare.

(Conclusions) The authors established a regular increase in soybean productivity when sowing with the paw plowshare: after naked fallow – by 0.59 tons per hectare, after wheat – by 0.51, after soy – by 0.21 tons. They suggested using seeders with paw plowshare 0.2 meters wide at a distance of 0.6 meters from each other for growing ecologically safe soybean seeds in the Amur region.

The development of the subprogram “Maize Breeding and Seed Production Development” within the framework of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture for 2017–2025 determines the necessity for intensive technical equipping of the industry with specialized domestic breeding equipment.

(Research purpose) To analyze the technical level of devices for the work mechanization in maize selection, variety testing and primary seed production, to identify the main directions of agricultural machinery development.

(Materials and methods) The authors studied materials published in periodicals, statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and the Federal State Statistics Service, information materials of Russian and foreign companies, the regulatory framework. They used methods of complex structural-dynamic analysis and an expert-analytical method of processing information.

(Results and discussion) The authors established the presence of domestic selection and seed production import dependence on foreign equipment supplies: with equipping of breeding institutions with mechanization facilities about 50 percent the foreign machinery and equipment share reached 70 percent. They identified the main problems in the corn selection and seed production mechanization. The first problem was the lack of domestic seeders for sowing at the first stage of selection, having the following parameters: traction class – 0.2; row spacing – up to 0.7 meters, the sowing sections number – 1 and 2; the distance between the coulters is 0.7 meters. The second problem was the domestic seeders for sowing shortage at the second stage of selection with the required parameters: traction class – 0.6; 1.4; 2.0; row spacing – 0.7 meters; the sowing sections number – 4 and 6; distance between extreme openers – 2.1; 3.5 meters. The third problem was the lack of domestic harvesting equipment that met the requirements: row spacing – 0.7 meters; working width – 1.4 and 2.8 meters; width – 1.8 or 3.2 meters; turning radius – 7.5 meters.

(Conclusions) The technical level of devices for the work mechanization in selection, variety testing and maize primary seed production didn’t meet the parameters of an integrated approach in the justification and specialized equipment development. The authors noted the necesity to develop the following domestic technical means: sowing machines for sowing nurseries of the first stage; markers; small-sized sprayers; two-row mover-shredder of corn male parent plants.