Abteilung Maschinen, Ger?te und Anwendungstechnik

An increasing trend towards mechanisation of agriculture from the beginning of the 20th century has facilitated the deployment of efficient and powerful machines by fruit farmers of the Lower Elbe region. The transition from a muscle-driven one-horsepower traction and work machine to motorised vehicles falls into that period. Since fruit farmers were engaged also in cattle and dairy production in these early days, some aspects of the latter are also covered here. With a few exceptions, the Technical Section has been a one-man unit since 1947. Seed production, planting, soli cultivation, tree treatment, pest control, harvest, storage and packaging have been the important tasks. The most prominent of all challenges is crop protection technology. Additional aspects of work in the Technical Section are the organisation of the regional annual exhibition of machines and equipment for fruit producers, and recommendations in the course of seminars and articles in the regional journal Mitteilungen des OVR.