CONTRIBUTION OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY DURING 50 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE

The Research Institute of Agricultural Machinery was founded in 1960 at Ulbroka as a Research Institute of Agricultural Mechanisation and Electrification. In order to hasten the introduction of scientific developments into agriculture, a department of design engineers and an experimental workshop were formed at the Institute. The main directions of its action were mechanisation of field crop growing and harvesting, livestock farm mechanisation and designing, efficient maintenance and repair of the tractor and machinery fleet, electrification and automation of the technological processes, popularisation and implementation of the scientific development and advanced experience in agricultural production. During the 50 years since the Institute was founded its research activities had been developed in more than 40 directions. The results of scientific investigations have wide introduction in agriculture, increasing the efficiency of agricultural production. Since 1998 the Institute is integrated into the Latvia University of Agriculture. In the latest years studies have been conducted to raise the quality of the products, to reduce the energy requirement and costs. Motivation is given for the design parameters of the soil tillage mechanisms, more efficient soil tillage methods and technical means. Mathematical methods have been developed for the investigation of the technological processes of soil tillage and the choice of rational technologies for growing agricultural crops. Investigations have started lately in the application of the GPS technologies in precision agriculture and assessment of the ecological aspects of soil tillage mechanisation. The work has started in the recent years at the development of technologies and means of mechanisation for growing non-conventional crops: cranberries, high-bush blueberries, sea buckthorns, etc., and for processing their products. As a perspective direction can be noted a theoretical and practical research into energy saving technologies, rational use of the sources of renewable energy and their practical application. Experimental collector equipment has been developed, which follows the movement of the sun, for the use of the energy of solar radiation. Solutions are sought to use the plant biomass for the production of energy. Equipment has been made for heating piglets in the piggeries. The work is going on at the issues of mechanised growing and harvesting technical crops: flax and sugar beet. Various flax harvesting technologies have been worked out and economically motivated depending on the specificity of the flax growing farms and their financial resources.