Posted: January 9, 2018
Tractors finally overtook the horse as the chief form of power on the American farm around 1955.
Clyde Tillage Meter
But even before this time, agricultural engineering researchers were at work studying the forces that act on field equipment. Their goal was to help farmers work more efficiently, prevent damage to their equipment, and improve the design of their equipment.
In 1933, Arthur W. Clyde, professor of agricultural engineering at Penn State, invented the Clyde Tillage Meter Force Measurement Frame for Tillage Tools. Clyde used this machine, along with a previous machine he built, to measure the draft, center of pull, and other forces acting on various types of tillage tools. He tested plows, disk harrows, and other types of tillage implements with his historic machine.
Some years later, the USDA Agricultural Research Station built a similar instrument to be used in a laboratory setting at their Tillage Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama.
Latest Issue
Features
So Long Spotted Lanternfly
Researchers devise creative ways to defeat a destructive pest.
Past Time For Change
In the wake of a series of racial hate crimes in the United States, Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences are elevating their commitment to providing an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported.
Course Change
Instructors in the college respond to the pandemic with new and improved ways of engaging with students.
