Briefing on Agricultural Machinery Laboratory

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Goal：

To improve Agricultural Machinery and Automation in the Central Region of Taiwan, we are dedicated to conduct research and development in agricultural labor-saving machinery. Testing and enhancing to provide suitable machinery for domestic cereal and horticultural crop sowing, transplanting, cultivation management, harvesting, and post-harvest processing, as well as research on integrated systems.

Our main goals include traditional farm machinery, greenhouse technology, energy efficiency and carbon reduction, adapting to adverse conditions, mobile agriculture, and smart agriculture.

Personnel：

• Researcher: 4 people, including two PhDs, a Master and a Bachelor.
• Technician: 2 people.
• Contract Workers: 4 people, including a project assistant, a research assistant, a technician and a clerical staff.

Facilities and Equipments：

Agricultural machinery workshop

1. Processing working machinery, including lathes, milling, electric welding machine, universal metalworking machine, hydraulic lift etc.
2. Field working machinery, including tractors, rice combine harvesters, lawn mowers, high-pressure sprayers, hand truck etc.
3. Auxiliary Equipment, including generators, chargers, Air Compressors, overhead cranes, 1.5-ton and 3-ton Forklifts.

Greenhouse and laboratory

1. Greenhouses (precision greenhouse, automated irrigation and liquid fertilizer application system, semi-automatic grafting machine for Solanaceous vegetables imported from Spain, grafting   healing chamber etc.)
2. Agricultural processing machinery laboratory (packaging machines, moisture tester, physical property testing machine, true density testing machine etc.)

Ongoing Works：

1. Research and development of labor-saving cultivation machinery for field and protected horticulture management.
2. Demonstration and promotion of new agricultural machinery and automation equipment.
3. Application research of agricultural facility environment monitoring and water-saving irrigation technology.
4. Combining ICT and IoT technology with cultivation management, and integrating relevant technology to develop advanced application.
5. With mechanization, automation and smart agriculture, we aim to reduce labor demands, enhance working efficiency and achieve the goal of sustainability and net zero carbon emission.

Future Research Prospect：

To improve Agricultural Machinery and Automation in the Central Region of Taiwan, we are dedicated to conduct research and development in agricultural labor-saving machinery. Testing and enhancing to provide suitable machinery for domestic cereal and horticultural crop sowing, transplanting, cultivation management, harvesting, and post-harvest processing, as well as research on integrated systems.

Our main goals include traditional farm machinery, greenhouse technology, energy efficiency and carbon reduction, adapting to adverse conditions, mobile agriculture, and smart agriculture.

Recent Research Results：

Since 1996 to date, a total of 39 technology transfers and 39 patents have been achieved.

1. Machinery for field management

1. Electric Fertilizer Spreaders (2022)
2. Gravel and medium separation processing machine for orchid (2021)
3. Attached two-row taro seedling transplanter (2019)
4. Hand-pushed fertilizing machine (2018)
5. Ride-on fertilizing machine for orchard (2015)
6. Manual fertilizing machine (2015)
7. Ride-on mower for orchard (2005)
8. Self-propelled hydraulic drilling machine (2004)
9. Semi-automatic vegetable seedling transplanter (1998)
10. ME-board thrower for fruit-fly (1998)

2. Machinery for protected horticulture

1. Timely irrigation trigger device (2016)
2. Rotating suspended vertical cultivation rack (2014)
3. Automatic fertigation system (2009)
4. Anti-lodging lifting net frame system for flower facility cultivation (2009)
5. Wireless monitor system for greenhouse (2008)
6. Electric self-propelled air-blowing sprayer (2008)
7. Electric self-propelled lifting carrier (2006)
8. Tri-wheel electric self-propelled sprayer (2005)
9. Automatic suspended rod spraying system for greenhouses (2005)

3. Machinery for grafting

1. Tomato seedling grafting machine (2017)
2. Tomato seedling grafting machine with Conveyor (2019)
3. Passion fruit seedling automatic grafting machine (2010)

4. Machinery for agro-product processing

1. Flat box folding machine for orchid (2020)
2. Buckwheat centrifugal sheller (2015)
3. Multi-layer vibratory sorter for grain (2015)
4. Automatic sorting machine for grain (2004)

▲ Electric Fertilizer Spreaders (2022)
▲ Flat box folding machine for orchid (2020)	▲ Gravel and medium separation processing machine for orchid (2021)
▲ Attached two-row taro seedling transplanter (2019)	▲ Tomato seedling grafting machine with Conveyor
▲ Tomato seedling grafting machine (2017)	▲ Buckwheat centrifugal sheller (2015)
▲ Timely irrigation trigger device (2016)	▲ Ride type fertilizing machine for orchard (2016)
▲ Push type fertilizing machine (2016)	▲ Multi-layer vibratory sorter for grain (2015)
▲ Tri-wheel electric self-propelled sprayer (2012)	▲ Automatic fertigation system (2009)
▲ Vertical moving net frame system to prevent flower crops lodging in protected facility (2009)	▲ Wireless monitor system for greenhouse (2008)
▲ Electric self-propelled air-assist sprayer (2008)	▲ Electric self-propelled lifting carrier (2006)
▲ Self-propelled hydraulic drilling machine (2005)	▲ Riding mower for orchard (2005)
▲ Automatic sorting machine for featured grain (2004)	▲ Automatic zone-shifting type boom-spraying device for greenhouse  (2005)
▲ Semi-automatic vegetable seedling transplanter (2004)	▲ ME-board thrower for fruit-fly (1998)
▲ Gladiolus corms digger (1995)