The priority direction for the scientific and technological development of the agro-industrial complex is shown to be the transition to advanced digital smart technologies, robotic systems, new materials and design methods, to artificial intelligence. The importance of further evolution is noted for such areas as agro-engineering science and education, cooperation of agro-engineering institutions, innovative approaches and solutions that reflect the current state and tendencies in the development of the agro-industrial complex. The relevance is substantiated for studying the experience of the foundation and development of a system of agro-engineering scientific institutes, agro-engineering universities, machine trial stations, whose coordinated activity made it possible to form a powerful scientific and technological potential, build a multi-profile integrated agro-industrial production and ensure the country's food security.

Research purpose To identify the general evolutionary factors in the development of specialized infrastructure institutions, the key development features of a scientific agro-engineering platform for creating the domestic systems and complexes of agricultural machines.

Materials and methods Established the chronological framework of the study, noting the features of the three main periods of the last century. Characterized the reforms of agroengineering scientific and educational institutions.

Results and discussion The evolutionary factors of the formation of agroengineering universities, scientific institutions, machine testing stations in 1920-2020 are investigated and identified.

Conclusions It is proved that the formed and continuously developing scientific and technological potential became the basis for creating the systems of highly efficient agricultural machinery and equipment, contributed to the agriculture transformation into a highly efficient mechanized production and ensured the country's food security.

It was noted that technologies of direct sowing No-till and sowing with minimal soil tillage Mini-till play an increasing role in transferring crop production to a new technological level. The comparison of the efficiency of cultivating corn for grain when using different tillage and sowing technologies revealed the inconsistency of the scientific research results.

Research purpose To compare the cost-effectiveness of two technologies for cultivating corn for grain: Mini-till and the traditional one. (Materials and methods) The advantages and disadvantages of the traditional cultivation of corn for grain were considered in comparison with No-till and Mini-till sowing.

Results and discussion The authors carried out field studies of the technology based on minimal tillage and minimum organic fertilizers and used for seven years in Derevyanko V.I. peasant farm (Krasnodar Krai). As a result, the operational and technological performance indicators were determined for Optima TFmaxi direct seeder aggregated with John Deere 8310RT tractor and other machines used for the main technological operations. The volumes of technological materials used were determined. A systematic analysis of the economic efficiency sources was carried out at two levels: machine and tractor fleet, technology in general.

Conclusions It was determined that compared to the traditional technology, Mini-till ensures a 49-percent decrease in the labor intensity of mechanized operations, though results in a 1-percent increase in fuel consumption and a 69-percent rise in unit operating costs, which is, though, offset by a 3-ton-per-hectare, or a 43-percent, increase in the productivity of corn for grain.

The digital transformation of agricultural technological processes is substantiated to be relevant in the context of the exacerbating global problems of food security, the agricultural business stagnation in the regions of the northern Non-Black Earth Region, as well as the ESG transformation of the economy.

Research purpose To develop control algorithms for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on numerical methods of machine learning to ensure the monitoring of the crops state and the improving of the production process planning and operational management.

Materials and methods The following methodology was used: the original methods of machine learning, knowledge engineering and computer modeling for organizational and technological processes of technical objects’ life cycle in industry and products’ life cycle in the national economy,  as well as mathematical and algorithmic models, methods and prototypes of proactive automation tools for information, physical and energy interaction of heterogeneous robotic and cyber-physical complexes.

Results and discussion Artificial intelligence systems were created for the photogrammetric processing of visible spectrum images and those taken with multispectral video cameras with the construction of orthophotomaps, digital elevation models. Machine learning numerical methods were applied. Possible ways of formulating recommendations for the land revegetation and amelioration were demonstrated. Algorithmic software and hardware have been developed for the automation of vertical farms, closed cycle fish farming plants. The authors carried out wireless registration of measured and calculated parameters received from the distributed sensors, conducted their analysis based on big data technologies and proactive control of cyber-physical devices responsible for the functioning of the aqua and phytocultures life support systems. The authors provided the examples of produced UAVs and attachments designed for processing the agricultural land, as well as examples of automation modules for vertical farms that provide proactive autonomous control.

Conclusions It was determined that the developed software and hardware ensured a 6-percent increase in the residual charge of the UAV battery after the flight. Image analysis using a multispectral camera improved the accuracy of identifying the plant areas with phytopathologies up to 99 percent.

The power of the engine of energy-saturated tractors often proves not to be fully used. One of the solutions to this problem might be the use of the unit technological part as an active coupling weight. To implement it, an energotechnological modular unit was created.

Research purpose The purpose of the study is to determine the traction efficiency of a block-modular energotechnological unit given a kinematic discrepancy between the tractor wheels.

Materials and methods The system of equilibrium equations for the transport-technological module being free-attached to the energy module is presented as the sum of forces projections on the axis. The tangent thrust force and the rolling resistance force of each axle of the energy vehicle were expressed through the corresponding normal soil reactions. When calculating multiaxle running systems, it was taken into account that the rolling resistance coefficient depends on the number of wheel passes along one trace and the degree of soil deformation by previous passes. Normal reactions of the soil to the energy module supports have been determined by considering the modular energotechnological unit as a whole, equating to zero the sum of the forces projection on the OZ axis and the sum of the moments at the point of contact between the energy module’s front wheels and the soil.

Results and discussion The influence of the kinematic mismatch between the third axle and the second one on the undercarriage efficiency was investigated. Analyzing the dependence of the running system efficiency on the kinematic mismatch of the first and third axles at the traction of 30 kilonewtons, the extremes of all the dependencies at the kinematic mismatch between the third bridge and the second one different unit were detected.

Conclusions It has been revealed that the change in the efficiency of the chassis system of the modular energotechnological unit depends on the kinematic mismatch between the third axle and the second one at a predetermined kinematic mismatch between the first axle and the second axle, which is a structural feature for 4K4 wheeled tractors. The excess in the values of running system efficiency equals 1.04-1.06 if the constructive kinematic mismatch between the third bridge and the second one is within 1.06-1.08.

The paper highlights the relevance of the problem of determining the amount of heat supplied by an internal combustion engine to a liquid cooling system when creating typical series of unified heat exchangers for tractor and combine engines (power units). A properly designed cooling system further guarantees the maintenance of the optimal thermal mode for the engine operation. A methodology for calculating the coolant characteristics of the cooling system was proposed in order to prevent possible problems related to increased parts wear, early loss of oil lubricating properties, the engine (individual units) and rubbing parts overheating, a decrease in engine power and a deterioration in the quality of the fuel-air mixture entering the cylinders.

Research purpose To develop a methodology for calculating the amount of heat to be dissipated by the oil radiators of a liquid cooling system (lubrication system) being exposed to various load and engine speed modes.

Materials and methods It was proposed to determine the amount of heat to be dissipated by the liquid-oil heat exchanger of the engine lube oil cooling system.

Results and discussion The calculation method for oil radiators presents the calculation of the heat obtained by oil during the operation of 37-110 kilowatts automotive engines. The heat-dissipating ability of the oil surface is determined. A parameter taking into account the oil radiator heat flow is identified. The graphs of the oil surface and heat flux dependence on the engine power are presented.

Conclusions The method for calculating the temperature and dynamic characteristics of the automotive engine cooling system has been developed. It makes it possible to carry out research on the radiator thermal and technical characteristics in various operating modes of machines and coolants of systems, various heat exchanger structural materials (metal, polymer), with an error of 1.5-8.0 percent.

It was shown that there is a need for the research and development of domestic lines for processing two-season raw industrial hemp of autumn and spring harvesting. The lines need to be efficient, low-cost and produce fiber of various qualities.

Research purpose The research aimed to substantiate the design of a low-cost line for the primary processing of technical hemp harvested in autumn and spring as a tangled mass of broken stems, and work out the recommendations for processing raw materials.

Materials and methods Autumn harvest hemp was processed in four ways: single, double, triple and quadruple pass through the flax line of primary processing, without changing the settings of the machines. The design of this line was detailed as follows: DLV-2 flax disintegrator, horizontal lamellar fiber unloader of the VUL system named after I.N. Levitsky and two shaking machines with a lower combed field at the rotation frequency of a disintegrator rotor of 1000 revolutions per minute, and a swing frequency of the shaking machine needle rollers of 230 revolutions per minute. The obtained hemp was examined for quality indicators according to the current standards.

Results and discussion It was revealed that the medium length of broken stems is 150 millimeters, the minimum and maximum length varies from 24 to 485 millimeters. It was shown that autumn harvest hemp is difficult to process: single and double passes of autumn harvest hemp through the line under research do not provide the desired fiber quality, which does not correspond to even the lowest grade. The third pass revealed to be possible to provide a quality fiber, and the fourth proved to be impractical.

Conclusions It was proved that the separation and breaking load of the fiber in autumn harvest hemp weed differ from spring harvest hemp: 4.6 units versus 8.2-8.6 and 9.3 kilogram-force versus 13.5-16.9, respectively. The authors determined the quality indicators of hemp of the same type, undirected, and its yield with various processing options. For the first time, a domestic line for processing autumn and spring hemp with a capacity of 600 kilograms per hour and more was proposed, which allows to change the fiber quality, get a 1.5-2.0 times increase in productivity and change the fiber cost. The recommendations were substantiated for the effective hemp processing and the necessity of creating a disintegrator for hemp.

The problem of increasing the irrigated lands productivity and ensuring sufficient reserves of minerals and nutrients for plants is noted to be important in the Republic of Uzbekistan. In practice, when preparing land for sowing cotton, wheat, soybeans and other crops, the application of mineral fertilizers is provided with the help of a chisel cultivator that has two separate hoppers for mineral fertilizers with a capacity of 50 kilograms each. It was revealed that large lumps of caked fertilizers remain in the hoppers, which reduces the productivity and quality of the unit. It was recommended to use an improved device with one container and special grinders for mineral fertilizers installed there.

Research purpose To substantiate the parameters for the grinder of large lumps of mineral fertilizers in the chisel-cultivator hopper.

Materials and methods The study was focused on the parameters and performance of a mineral fertilizer grinder operating by means of a rotation provided by the unit support wheel.

Results and discussion The parameters of the chisel-cultivator were determined for grinding and applying mineral fertilizers at the stage of preparing the soil for sowing.

Conclusions A unit with grinding working bodies was developed to install in a chisel-cultivator hopper. The following parameters were specified: the shaft diameter is 40 millimeters, the toothed bar height is 25-30 millimeters, the width is 8–10 millimeters, and the thickness is 2-3 millimeters. In total, 18 bars were fixed in one compartment of the hopper, and 180 pieces in 10 compartments. The selected parameters of the mineral fertilizer grinder in the hopper with a capacity of 350 kilograms facilitate the application of up to 300 kilograms per hectare.

A high efficiency of sowing grain crops by ears was noted in breeding and primary seed production. It was found that a seeder with working bodies for sowing by ears helps to significantly (up to 8 times) reduce labor intensity as well as maintain the variety purity in comparison with the use of manual labor.

Research purpose To develop a seeder working section with a tape-cassette sowing device for sowing grain crops by ears in breeding and seed nurseries, and to substantiate the sowing device parameters necessary for the design of a multi-section grain seeder.

Materials and methods In the course of the experiments, the authors proposed a schematic diagram, a program and a method for testing a cassette seeder working section for sowing by ears.  A sample of the seed section was examined in the laboratory. The ways of ensuring the variety purity in conditions of grain natural shedding were studied. A technology of sowing ears in capsules was used.

Results and discussion It was proposed to equip the seeder cassette sowing device with a device for pushing the capsule with the ear out of the cassette tape cell. A mock-up model of a spiked seed drill section was developed. The operation of the tape-cassette sowing device was checked.

Conclusions The advisable parameters of the cassette tape cells specified are as follows: the inner diameter is 2.3-2.5 centimeters, the length is 14.0-16.5 centimeters, the distance between the axes is 3-4 centimeters. A formula for calculating the number of cells in a cassette tape was obtained depending on the number of tape turns in the cassette. The initial requirements and terms of reference were developed for the experimental sample of the grain drill section. The data were summarized to design a multi-section seeder for sowing with ears.

The article presents the main results of a three-year research on the use of a seeder with openers for different depths of grain sowing and mineral fertilizers application.

Research purpose To compare SKP-2.1 seeder equipped with experimental openers and the serially produced one and to determine the yield and quality indicators of spring soft wheat grain, depending on the sowing method and the rate of nitrogen mineral fertilizers application.

Materials and methods A comparative field agrotechnical experiment was carried out to compare the indicators of field germination, yield by variants and the quality of grain obtained in different variants of the experiment. The experiment was carried out on Omskaya-36 soft spring wheat. The sowing performed by SKP-2.1 serially produced seeder-cultivator was taken as control. The experimental plots were sown with the same seeder but equipped with combined coulters, which are lancet paws that ensure the placement of granular mineral fertilizers and seeds in soil horizons of different depths.

Results and discussion According to the three-year research, the maximum economic effect was obtained at the rate of ammonium nitrate application of 150 kg/ha. As a result, the yield increased by 0.44 t/ha, the cost of additional production accounted for 6740 rub/ha. A slight decrease in the economic effect was revealed with an increase in the rate of fertilizer application. It was determined that the maximum yield and the best grain quality characteristics both in the control sowing options and in the experimental ones were obtained with the application of ammonium nitrate a rate of 150 and 200 kg/ha.

Conclusions It was established that the use of a seeder for different-depth grain sowing and mineral fertilizers application, depending on the spring weather conditions and the ammonium nitrate dose, provides an increase in field germination by 11-18%; the average annual increase in grain yield accounted for 16.3%. The gluten content proved to increase from 24.6 (control) to 29.8 percent.

It was noted that the optical radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) range plays an important role in agricultural production, and a lack of it leads to the deterioration of animal productivity.

Research purpose The study aims to substantiate the parameters of energy-saving agricultural electrical equipment operating in the ultraviolet range.

Materials and methods The study shows that it is possible to create a universal therapeutic irradiator based on LEDs with a wavelength of 310 nanometers. The calculation methods are given. The parameters of UV devices for premises disinfection are substantiated. It has been found out that UV radiation increases the polymerization rate of paint coatings and facilitates the creation of energy-saving optical insect traps.

Results and discussion The paper provides some examples of own-developed energy-saving systems and their use for the therapeutic irradiation of animals. The replacement of LE-30 fluorescent lamps with LEDs has resulted in a 13-fold reduction in electricity consumption. It has been found out that the use of bactericidal irradiators in poultry houses reduces not only the concentration of microorganisms but also the content of carbon dioxide and ammonia. The use of own-developed irradiators for photochemical polymerization of paint coatings reduces the curing time by 2 times. Optical insect traps have been created based on LEDs with a wavelength of 385 nanometers and the best pulsation frequency of the light source has been determined at 100 hertz.

Conclusions The equipment has been developed and the parameters for irradiators operating in the range of 254-390 nanometers were substantiated for a variety of their applications in agriculture.

It was shown that the constant use of mountain meadows and pastures leads to soil depletion and deterioration. Liquid microorganisms-based biologies are considered to contribute to the soil fertility restoration. It has been revealed that there is a lack of serial samples of small-sized maneuverable machines for small contour areas, which could superficially apply solutions of biologies to mountain meadows and pastures.

Research purpose To develop and manufacture a laboratory model of the unit for the mountainous area based on the Feng Shou 180 mini-tractor, which could reduce the slope areas degradation processes.

Materials and methods A laboratory sample of the machine has been substantiated and developed. Its design is adapted to work with degraded soils in the mountains with a slope of cultivated areas up to 15 degrees. The technology was tested in the mountainous zone of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania at an altitude of 1540 meters above sea level. A technical examination of a laboratory sample of a block module for biologies surface application was carried out according to the adopted standards.

Results and discussion A block-module has been developed for biologies surface application to mountain meadows and pastures. It was identified that the unit laboratory sample complies with the agrotechnical requirements and the terms of reference. The following necessary parameters were calculated: tank capacity is 300 liters, application rate is 0.109 liters per second, pipeline diameter is 12 millimeters. It was determined that the use of the block-module increased the yield of perennial grasses in the mountain zone by 15-20 percent in one year, made it possible to strengthen the turf, which will prevent the development of water and wind erosion in the future.

It was shown that when developing regional systems of technologies and machines, it is important to take into account all natural agro-climatic conditions and production capabilities in each region’s agricultural sector.

Research purpose To develop a methodology for substantiating typical agricultural territories in each agricultural region so that the calculation results obtained for this territory are then generalized for the entire region.

Materials and methods The production potential of the region was monitored, the basic assessment criteria were statistically processed and typical agricultural territories were selected according to the minimum deviation of the criteria particular values for the individual regions from the average weighted values for the whole region. All target territories within the region were grouped into homogeneous samples according to the minimum criteria variance. An algorithm for the sequence of computational and logical operations was proposed. The territories were assessed according to three uniformity criteria: the minimum sum of ranks for the priority of each basic criterion, the number of priority basic criteria, and the comparative significance of each region production potential. For typical areas, it was proposed to perform computer calculations of technical support options.

Results and discussion The calculations were performed for the Central Non-Black Earth Zone of the Russian Federation. The following basic criteria for the production resources of the regions were adopted: the total arable land, the number of tractors, tractor availability and capability, the number of agricultural organizations in the region, the area for sowing grain crops, vegetables, and planting potatoes. The monitoring of the production resources criteria revealed their uneven distribution across the region and the subsequent necessity to identify two or three typical agricultural territories.

Conclusions An algorithm was proposed for selecting typical territories and agricultural organizations in the region based on the case of the Central Non-Black Earth Zone of the Russian Federation. Within this zone, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Bryansk, and Yaroslavl regions were identified as typical ones.

Based on the systematization of the existing knowledge in the field of innovation, the article formulates the principles of organizing an innovation system for the agro-industrial complex of Russia. Within these principles, the following concepts became the key ones: an innovation system, a triple helix model of innovation, an innovation process (including the transfer of technologies from the science sector to the business sector and the accompanying problem of the innovation death valley), a comprehensive classification of technology groups and radical innovation types from the point of view of the industry's technological paradigm, and innovation implementation.

Research purpose To develop the principles of organizing (building) an innovation system for the agro-industrial complex of Russia and to reveal through them the inner content of the "innovation system" concept.

Materials and methods A normative approach to economic analysis and a systematic method were applied.

Results and discussion A successful innovation system of the agro-industrial complex is shown to depend on the effective interaction of agricultural science, agribusiness and the state: the three institutional participants in the innovation development and implementation act based on a pre-agreed mutual understanding of the innovation process concept, including the need to overcome the innovation death valley. At the same time, an innovative project proposal can be initiated by any sector, and the role of the state is recognized as critical and mission-oriented. The article presents the criteria for the potential of the new technology implementation at its initial stage, at the level of an idea. An example of the analysis of tillage technology criteria was provided.

Conclusions The principles of organizing an innovation system for the agro-industrial complex of Russia were proposed. The secret of the innovation system success is shown to be based on the integrated efforts of the innovation process participants – Russian agricultural science, agribusiness and the state. The article highlights the need for timely real actions, practical steps to build an innovation system.