Assessment of the mechanization of row covers for cucurbit crops
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Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
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1905–present
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- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
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- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
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Abstract
Row covers provide pest protection for cantaloupe and squash, but require labor to set up and remove. A mechanical retrieval system reduced time to remove cover and generally added to labor savings, reducing total time for deployment and retrieval by 5 minutes (nearly a 10% time reduction as compared to manual retrieval). Using conduit hoops in the Proteknet system increased time to insert and erect hoops into the soil. Hoop erection and hoop handling in and out of storage required 12 minutes more time for the Proteknet/conduit system (nearly a 27% time increase), with much of the time attributed to deployment issues.
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This proceeding is from 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Paper No. 1700686, pages 1-5 (doi: 10.13031/aim.201700686). St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.