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Agricultural mechanism with tracks rather than tires
Benjamin Holt creates first tractor with tracks other than wheels. This helps farmers in larger vehichles from sinking into the soil. This is an economic impact because it improved the efficiency of farmers by not having tractors that sink into the ground. This ultimately improved the produce market because farmers could produce goods more efficiently. (source #1) Image source: (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt_Manufacturing_Company -
First tractor driven by combustion engine
Factory for manufacturing traction engine powered by combustion engine established by Charles Hart and Charles Parr. This was more compact and light weight than steam powered tractors. This was an ecomonic impact because tractors got more efficient to manufacture because it was smaller and used fuel. (source #1) -
Period: to
Tractor inventions/innovations
This is the time period when the tractor it's self was mainly being developed -
Agricultural Engineering Education
Iowa State began to provide agricultural engineering cirriculum designed by Jay Brownlee Davidson. This cirriculum covered a wide variety of agricultural related engineering. This was a social impact because it changed people's professions and what they went to college for. (source 1) Image source: (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_State_University -
Fordson 'Automobile Plow" goes on the market
This tractor was only $395 and was designed by a spinoff company of Ford. It was for 10-12 acre fields. This soon spread to 50% of the worldwide tractor market. This is an economic impact because it dominated the market and a lot of farmers were buying this tractor. (source #1) Image source: (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:JoshuacUK/Fordson_tractor -
Horse Drawn Ronning Harvester
American Harvester manufactured a horse drawn machine that harvested corn silage. This improved on a previous harvester. This is an economic impact because it improved the efficiency of farmers and improved the produce market. (source #1) -
People start to use aerial crop dusting techniques
Aerial crop dusting techniques were used by U.S army to spray arsenate on land. This is a political impact because the government started to enforce regulations on fertilizer and pesticides. These laws still effect us today. (source #1) Image source: (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_application -
Power Take-off feature invented
The power take-off feature allowed tractors to share power to attached peripherals. This is an ecomonic impact because it changed how companies manufacture peripherals by giving them mechanical power. (source #1) -
Crawler tractor with diesel engine
Caterpillar makes a diesel engine driven tractor that was more reliable, powerful, and it improved fuel efficiency. Diesel engines carried on for years later. This was an economic impact because it improved tractor's engines and made them more efficient. More people were buying diesel engine tractors. (source #1) -
Pick up baler manufactured
Ann Arbor Machine Company manufacture first pick up baler. Later, many other companies innovate on this invention by making self propelled hay balers. This is an ecomonic impact because it caused many other companies to improve the product and a lot of people were buying the new balers. (source #1) -
Rubber wheeled tractors
Rubber improved fuel efficiency by 25%. It also improved the riding experience by making it smoother and faster. This was a social impact because it allowed tractors to ride on public roads, now that it can reach 40mph. (source #1)l Image source: Tractor. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor#/media/File:Volvo_T_25.1.jpg -
Hydraulic draft control system invented
Gave farmers control over height of attached devices as well as automatically sets their required depth. This was first made by David Brown Comapny. This is a social impact because it gave farmers needed control over the hydraulics on their attachements. (source #1) -
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Tractor Peripherals Inventions/Innovations
This is the time period when tractor peripherals were mainly being developed and stand alone machines were invented. -
University of Nebraska researches conservation tillage
Conservation tillage helps to eliminate wind erosion by using different plows and discs to help the soil stay packed on the ground. This was an economic impact because it saved farmers from having to buy soil that they lost due to wind erosion. (source #1) Image source: University of Nebraska system. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Nebraska_system -
REA brings electricity to farmers
Rural Electricification Administration (REA) brings electricity to many farmers with 350000 miles of power lines. This is a social impact because farmers had mostly been without elelcricity before then, not they have electriciy. (source #1) -
Self Propelled Combine
This combine did not need to be attached to a tractor or horse. It was a threasher and a reaper all in one. This was made by Massey-Harris in Australia. This impacted the economy because farmers no longer had to buy tractors or care for horses if they wanted a combine. (source #1) -
Mechanical cotton picker developed
This mechanical spindle cotton picker was viable and manufactured by International Harvester. The harvester left the cottom plant in tact. This was a social impact because farmers didnt have to struggle with picking cotton, they now had a more efficient and reliable way of doing so. (source #1) Image source: International Harvester. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Harvester -
Center pivot irrigation machine created
Frank Zybach invented an irrigation machine that changed irrigation technology completely. It acted as sprinklers do, but it was on a pole that streached out into the feild and connected to a motorized vehicle that could move and water crops at the same time. This was an economic impact because people could water crops more efficiently and in time before they went bad. This decreased the amount of crops wasted and increaced the amount of goods produced for the market. (source #1) -
Corn head attachments on combines introduced
John-Deere replaced the self propelled corn picker with new corn head attachments. It shelled the ears in the field and made farmers only have to use one combine. This is a social impact because corn was now being farmed in the fall while other crops were growing in the spring. This changed when people ate corn. (source #1) -
Gyral air seeder planted.
This seeder used pneumatic delivery system to plant seeds. The technology is innovated to become multi-row seeders with large tanks holding seeds and fertilizers. This is an economic impact because it improved the efficiency of farmers by allowing them to seed more than one row at a time. (source #1) -
Electronic crop monitoring systems developed
Electronic crop monitoring systems monitored crops so farmers can plant them more efficiently. They could use these systems to monitor a lot of stuff about the field, soil, and crops. This was an economic impact because farmers coule work more efficiently because they had machines monitor their crops so they knew exactly when to plant and what to do. (source #1) Image source: Precision agriculture. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_agriculture -
Period: to
Electronic Data Gathering Inventions/Innovations
This is the time period when electronic monitoring was being mainly developed -
Farmers utilized GPS
GPS allowed farmers to locate their fields to determine how much water, pesticides, and fertilizer they needed. The data could be collected and put on a personal computer. They can utilize this data with other information like weather and yeild data to increase their efficiency and precision. This was an economic impact because farmers could increast their efficiency and precision, resulting in them outputing more food and goods into the market. (source #1) -
GPS image source
Precision agriculture. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_agriculture
