The work of Agricultural Engineering Department takes place in offices and in laboratory for physical measurements located in Ljubljana and in the Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering and Process Engineering located in Jable near Mengeš. The field research work takes place on various locations in Slovenia. The Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering and Process Engineering is equipped with modern measurement instruments used for the most demanding measurements carried out on agricultural machines and in process engineering to meet the demands of research work and industrial development. In the workshop of the Department, machines are adapted for the needs of experimental work required for research projects, industry, educational purposes, other departments of Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, etc. 

The work done at the Department is directed towards the following fields:

• Tractors
• Alternative energy sources
• Safety at work with agricultural machines
• Mechanisation of soil cultivation, sowing, care, hay and forage harvesting
• Agricultural soil mechanics
• Mechanisation used for the application of mineral and natural fertilisers
• Mechanisation used for the chemical application of pesticides
• Development of special mechanisation used for mountainous areas
• Testing of tractors, self-propelled and implemented agricultural machines and agricultural process engineering
• Development and preparation of measurement instruments used for electric measurements of mechanical quantities on agricultural machines
• Testing of various materials for the use in agriculture
• Expert advising
• Preparation of studies and making of expertises
• Harmonisation of machines with valid legal rules
• Organisation of expert conferences and seminars

RESEARCH WORK 

The research work involves research and development research projects. The investigations are conducted in co-operation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty Ljubljana, Faculty of Agriculture Maribor, Forestry Institute of the R. of Slovenia, Slovenian industry of agricultural machines and devices, etc. 
Active cooperation is maintained with the following foreign Institutions: Faculty of Agriculture Zagreb – Institute of Agricultural Mechanisation, Universität Hohenheim - Institut für Agrartechnik, BBA, etc. 


SEMINARS 

The Agricultural Engineering Department organises one-or several-day-seminars in the field of agricultural and measurement technique held by Slovenian and foreign lecturers. The seminars are divided in a theoretical and a practical part. At the practical part the participants get to know the topics presented at the seminar using practical examples. The Institute of Educational System of the Republic of Slovenia authorised the Department to carry out programs of permanent technical training of persons working in the field of agricultural engineering in educational system. A great number of teachers from all agricultural secondary schools and the secondary school of agricultural engineering have participated at several training programs in the past few years. 


EXPERT WORK 

The Agricultural Engineering Department participates with the national industry of agricultural machines and devices by developing and testing new machines and devices, advising about the rules and guidelines of the European Union on the safety of agricultural machines and about the rules on the plant protection machines. Tractors, implements, self-propelled machines, etc. intended for the work in field crop production, fruit and vine growing, vegetable growing etc. are tested during the use under real working conditions. In co-operation with the two Universities and with secondary schools, exercises for students and pupils are organised by way of which they get to know the functioning of agricultural machines and measurement technique. The Department enables the students of agricultural engineering an active participation in the research work and takes part at diploma, master and doctor degree projects in the field of agricultural engineering. 


MAKING OF MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT 

A special activity of the Department is designing and making of sensors used for electrical measurement of mechanical quantities on agricultural machines (forces, torque, pressure, rotational speed, etc.). The majority of sensors are the mechanical sensors which are prepared with strain gages. The sensors are fixed at measurement spots of a machine on which certain parameters have to be monitored. To meet the requirements of more demanding measurements, the measurement spot is prepared on the machine using strain gages. 


OTHER WORK 

Dr. Jejčič is a member of editorial board of the magazine Agricultura (published by Faculty of Agriculture Maribor) and of the magazine Poljoprivreda (published by Faculty of Agronomy Osijek, Croatia). Tomaž Poje is a member of editorial board of the magazine SAD. They both participate as active members of Technical Board of Agriculture and Forestry at the Slovenian Institute of Standardisation. At the Agricultural Engineering Department there is also the seat of Association of Agricultural Technique of Slovenia counting more than 300 members. Together they organise each year the Slovenian Meeting of Friends of Old-timer Agricultural Technique in Jable near Trzin at the premises of the Centre of Development of Agriculture and Countryside Jable in order to draw the attention of the public towards the preservation of history of agricultural technique in Slovenia. Members of the Department are also active as counsellors of the Technical Museum of Slovenia – Department of History of Agricultural Engineering. At the Department advice is offered to the users on the choice, use, maintenance, etc. of agricultural machines. 


LABORATORY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESS TECHNIQUE – JABLE NEAR MENGEŠ 

Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering and Process Engineering is located in Jable near Mengeš. It is equipped with up-to-date measurement equipment used for the most demanding measurements on agricultural machines and devices, and in agricultural process engineering. Agricultural tractors, machines, implements and devices are specially adapted to the needs of experimental work required for research projects, development projects for industry, for demonstrations, educational purposes, etc. The laboratory was partly renovated in 2003. A new concrete platform with clamping device allowing testing of certain exploitable properties of tractors and other agricultural machines was built. An updated ecological corner was constructed in which waste engine oil and other wastes produced as a result of exploitation of tractors and other agricultural machines at the Agricultural Engineering Department and other Departments of Agricultural Institute of Slovenia are deposited. In 2003, the Laboratory acquired an experimental 110 kW tractor with hydro-mechanical transmission and GPS – device for precise positioning via satellites. 

The Laboratory is equipped with a hydraulic-brake dynamometer used for the measurement of power of tractor engines, device used for testing of protective structures on agricultural tractors (static test) and device for strength testing of materials intended for agricultural purposes. The Laboratory also disposes of a specially adapted field vehicle equipped with special measurement instruments (used for electrical measurement of mechanical quantities), which allows monitoring of tractors and agricultural machines at work. The Agricultural Engineering Department has collaborated with the national industry of agricultural machines and devices in the field of development and testing of new machines and devices for many years. In frame of the Laboratory, tractors, implements, self-propelled vehicles and other machines intended for work in the field crop production, fruit and vine growing, vegetable growing, etc are tested at work under real conditions. National and foreign experts participate in short and long specialisation trainings taking place in the Laboratory. Students of Biotechnical Faculty Ljubljana, Faculty of Agriculture Maribor and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Ljubljana, etc. participate in practical training in the field of agricultural engineering and experimental work in frame of their diploma and postgraduate projects. 

Measurement of braking distance and deceleration at braking of tractor; laboratory vehicle is equipped with computer steered measurement equipment used for monitoring of functioning of agricultural tractors and machines, Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Jable near Mengeš. 
 

Up-todate ecological corner used for separate collection of waste oils, package from plant protection products, waste package of oils, etc., Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Jable near Mengeš.

Measurement of lifting force of hydraulic lift of tractor, Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Jable near Mengeš. 
 

Measurement of noise in the tractor cabin, Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Jable near Mengeš. 
 

Measurement of power of tractor engine through PTO shaft on hydraulic-brake dynamometer.