This paper considers state-of-the-art, problems and possibilities of developing new technologies and harvesting and processing machines for medicinal and aromatic plants from the viewpoint of utilizing extensive of plant species in Yugoslav economical conditions.

In the analysis of medicinal and aromatic plant production prominence was given to scientific and technological aspects of developing and applying modern mechanization in the production process from the field to the final product. The role of genetics and selection was explained for the improvement of physical and mechanical properties of plant species that can produce high yields of quality drugs by the rational use of modern harvesting and primary processing machines.

On the basis of discussion and conclusions, the authors explain their concept of scientific approach to the check of new technologies as well as to the relevant parameters for developing new systems of drug harvesting and processing machines.

The concept of development is based on the results obtained by researching physical and mechanical properties of different plant materials, significant in defining relevant parameters for the development of working tools, machine mechanisms and machine systems for quality drug production.

Key words: Medicinal and aromatic plants, production, economic conditions, machines, development, application.

The use of new technologies and new solutions in mechanization for the medicinal and aromatic plants considering food and medicine for proper nourishment and treatments of the population is connected to a great number of limitations, economical, technological and technical, caused by the bad economical situation, which in our country lasts for some time. Information points out that the market for the agricultural machinery is stabilized in the world. There is a small increase of supply and demand for modern mechanization and new technologies in agriculture. Our country has a considerable decrease in production, sales and import of agricultural machinery, which influenced production and consumption of vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants.

In highly developed countries in Europe and the world, there is a trend of projection of agricultural production, the number of farms is decreasing (in Holland at the rate of 4.1% a year, the size is being systematically increased and production areas are being turned in favor of the production of vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants). The changes are followed by the change in machine structure. The number of the sold tractors of 100 kW was increased by 30% in 1995 in relation to 1994. The demand for combines for harvesting of products and plant mass has been increasing, in 1995 over 25%. The new generation of combines with increased capacity is equiped with sensors that are easy to handle and follow the technological process. Thete is the increase of disposal of new generations of combines, as well as machines for harvesting vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants. The increase of production and sales of machines for preparing, cultivation and preparation of the soil up to 5% a year is also obvious.

In order to make use of plant potentials, the patient systematical work on selection, agrotechnique and especially on transfer and development of technique (mechanization) that allow the realization of production technology with profit respecting 4E criteria - economy, energy, ecology, ergonomy is needed. The use of new technologies and new generation mechanization that rationally use the energy and shape the natural resources into market products with high level of finalization is not possible without the transfer of knowledge and new technologies from developed countries.

Our economical surroundings and the situation in agriculture and industry in general are unsuitable for development projects and adoption of new technologies, and new machines, above all because of bad cooperation with manufacturers of agricultural mechanization in the world and limited access to the market. With this paper, by analysis of the difficulties and limitations, we try to explain the necessity of use of new technologies and development of mechanization.

The production and processing of the mentioned plant sorts are difficult. Problems can be divided in a few categories:

The first category is bad economical situation, purchasing power and crisis in the industry of agricultural machines.

The second group of problems come out of bad organization and cooperation between manufacturers of medicinal and aromatic plants, processors and market, which as a result has very poor supply of quality final products. Production, processing and application of the products of medicinal and aromatic plants are 4-10 times lower in our country than in some highly developed countries, which point out the necessity of finding the solution for the use of new technologies and modern mechanization (as in FAO).

The third group shows the absence and bad connection between science and practice and small investments in development projects and technology transfer.

The fourth group shows the low technical education level of mechanization users, as well as manufacturers of the mentioned plant sorts.

There are many other problems: bad exchange of experts and scientific and technological information with developed countries, there are no possibilities for equipping modern laboratories (train centers) for knowledge transfer. The final goal of quicken development of mechanization is the production of plant materials for processing into quality final products, medicines and various pharmaceutical preparation for markets in the world.

By analysis of the facts and results, the developing direction is being defined.

For intensive production with the use of mechanization, we need such kinds of medicinal and aromatic plants (sorts and hybrids) that besides their technological quality, must have certain morphological characteristics, suitable physical and mechanical features and a certain dynamics of biochemical ripping processes. If these conditions are not provided and the damage and losses in harvesting and finishing are more than 20% of yields, the use of modern mechanization will be ineffective and useless.

These facts point out the difficulty of the problem of production, which is connected with a great risk and consumption of energy and human labor.

Yugoslavia between the two wars, in the period 1930-1940, had average year's export of chamomile of 286t, but in the period 1986-90 it was 266.6t and was 751 200 dollars worth. Serbia in the period 1986-91 was exporting 50.8t of chamomile a year, and that was 114 800 dollars worth, but in 1996 Serbia begins to import chamomile. The reasons for the change were the loss of foreign markets, lack in quality seed, lack of harvesting machines (manual gathering is very hard). The researches show that the economical importance of chamomile growing is justified. Gross profit for 1996 was 13 490 din/ha, production expenditure 6 100 din/ha, total profit 19 600 din/ha. Processed chamomile in form of different final products can increase profit 5-10 times a hectare (seed and final products production should be the goal). The profit from 1 ha of medicinal plants can be equal to the profit from 30-100 ha of wheat. The manufacturers are motivated, but there is no suitable modern mechanization for realization of new technologies.

Expenditure of harvesting medicinal and aromatic plants is 30-60% in production processing of growing such plants, which points out the production dependence on applied level of harvesting mechanization. The research results show that 2-2,5 workers are needed for the production of 1 ha of medicinal plants, 3-4 workers for irrigation. According to the research, efficiency of the work during the harvesting medicinal plants with machines and combines is 2-30 times higher.
 

Picture 1. The trend of use of combine and machines for finishing Combines in our country Combines in highly developed countries Machines for finishing in our country Machines for finishing in highly developed countries.

It is especially emphasized that organized production of medicinal plants needs 70% in investments, for following buildings and equipment, and for production processes only 30%. It shows the necessity and importance of supplying credits for production through investments in buildings, equipment and mechanization whether the goal of production is market or further processing and finalization.

The diagram in picture 1 shows the trend of use of combines for harvesting and machines for finishing in highly developed countries and Yugoslavia for the period 1980-2000 (according to FAO data).

The data point out the necessity of studying and defining the strategy of development and use of mechanization for production and finishing medicinal and aromatic plants, which implies creating better economical surroundings, more effective exchange of knowledge and technologies with the developed world.

The analysis of possibilities for applying machines and equipment for applying new technologies that give rational production on big and small areas, demands studying parameters on which the selection, development and machine manufacturing depend on:

- justification of applying machines for production;
- possibility of using machines and equipment for farming production;
- possibility of using specialized machines and equipment;
- possibility of using complex systems of machines and automatic machine mechanisms.

The level of applying machines from farming and vegetable production depends on scientific farming applied in medicinal and aromatic plant production. The use of special machines and mechanisms for production of one or more plant sorts would be a significant step towards the increase of productivity and product quality.

The main course of developing the machines should be one time harvesting and technical solutions for transport and processing, so that other growing operations adjust themselves to this goal. It means that growing technology adjust itself to harvesting technique.

Another course is the production of the machines for separate operations with the task of general rationalization of the work. Then there is selective (varied) harvesting or harvesting with the use of varied auxiliary technical means. This way of work is connected to specific characteristics of the fruit (structure, shape, equalization), sensitivity of the fruit to mechanical damage and losses.

There are many specialized factories in the world that make machines and equipment according to purpose and demands of the users for selected production technologies. There are no specialized manufacturers in our country. There are some attempts of some private enterprise to develop and produce machines for some operations, harvesting and finishing, but it is unorganized and insufficient.

The use of specialized machine systems allows high productivity and work quality. The use of machine system especially allows coordination between capacities of harvesting and finishing and storage facilities in commercial growing.

Some countries, like Italy, introduced full mechanization of all processes for a number of plant sorts, including processing from seed to the final product. For some sensitive and valuable plant sorts, various technical devices are being used, like platform, semi-robots etc., which significantly reduces participation of human labor and gives a high quality product.

Using specialized machines and combines for chamomile and mint harvesting increases productivity 25 times comparing to normal picking.

In 1970s and 1980s in our country, the main characteristic of production of medicinal and aromatic plants was the method of "transplanting" of the finished technological recipes without research of sorts, growing and mechanization technologies, so there were some mistakes in production. The question of advancement of the production concerning selection, overcoming, developing the machines and acquisition of the mechanization from abroad is not so simple. Answering this question is not possible, if the economical situation in which some solutions are possible and justified is not built first. Another part of the answer is in the quality of the knowledge in this area of production and the ability of our industry of agricultural machinery to develop and produce new machines.

Interdisciplinary research of some important relevant parameters on which depend the development and the level of application of mechanization in the processes of production and processing of the mentioned plant sorts gave the answer in what measure the transfer of technologies, knowledge and import of machines should be accepted, and in what measure and how to develop and use own technical solutions for the machines in order to engage production facilities of our industry of agricultural machinery, by themselves or through some cooperation programs.

Machines for sowing, planting, fertilizing, plant protection and crop raising. Strict requests for precise sowing, planting and dosage and distributing active substances of fertilizer and protection substances directed the development of the machines towards application of electronic control of quantity and distribution, on single and combined machines for more operations in one pass. The improvement of the precision of sowing and planting continues (small seeds and nursery plants sensitive to mechanical damage).

Fertilizer sprayers are being constantly improved considering precision of distribution and adjustments to application conditions. Machines for raising crops are also being improved towards the use of new machines, which reduce the risk of damage to the plants, and therefore automatic handle of the machines is being introduced.

Harvesting machines and combines. The development of the machines and combines for harvesting the fruit and plant mass of medicinal and aromatic plants is extremely complicated due to a great number of the sorts and parameters that influence the harvesting quality and profitability of the use of combines for short optimal terms. The production of machines and combines is practically concentrated in a few highly developed countries, in big factories capable to invest in development and produce sophisticated high quality machines in small series. A new combine generation has a high automatization level of managing, control of the work and adjusting of tools, above all to provide work quality. There is a progress in development of machines for harvesting fresh plant mass that is being further finished or dried especially aromatic plant sorts.

Machines for finishing the product. Requests of the manufacturers of medicinal and aromatic plants caused the need for equalized purity and quality of raw material that are being harvested with machines with or without electronic equipment for work control. The development of technique and applying method for automatic testing and checking physical and mechanical parameters of fruit condition, damage level and ripeness level without destroying the product is a significant step towards improvement of finishing technologies. New instruments for detection of presence of foreign bodies, additives, for separating crops by volume, form and color are being developed. Some companies in the world are testing robots that sort crops and package and thus acquire high productivity and quality of products.

Global analysis of the condition in our country and trends of development of agricultural mechanization for production and sophistication of medicinal and aromatic plants in highly developed countries remark significant lagging behind of our economy. Not even in 1990 our industry satisfied our needs neither according to structure nor according to quality of the machines. Basic problem is the fact that the manufacturers of agricultural mechanization lost the majority of experts and up-to-date technology for development projects.

The key role of science in development of agricultural machinery is bound to the global significance of agriculture in future, first of all regarding cutting down the production costs and environment protection, which imply multidisciplinary research and free exchange of information and knowledge with the high developed countries.

The strategy of development should include introduction of new economical and ecologically justified and acceptable technologies, technical systems, machines and specialized equipment, first of all through the application of automatic managing, informational technologies and new materials.

Research shows that applied, interdisciplinary and developing research should be intensified in order to enable industry of agricultural machines to pursue development projects and production. University education should be adjusted according to this task in order to create experts capable to perform technological transfer. Regarding the techniques for production of medicinal and aromatic plants, development research should be directed to the production of the machines that deal with the following problems:

In order to test the transfer of technology and quality of mechanization, it is necessary to form experimental facility, which will execute testing of mechanization in real conditions, and train the users of the new technologies. This method is supported by science, and practice in all high-developed countries proved that.

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