Modern Ways of Improving the Mechanization of Hop Cultivation

Recently under the conditions of economic sanctions and food embargo, the issue of import substitution has sharply risen in Russia. These phenomena directly relate to agricultural products, and, in particular, to hop. Currently, about 90% of market hop is imported into the Russian market from abroad. The article analyzes the complex of technical means used for hop cultivation with the introduction of changes into the existing technology of its production. Also, the article presents the search for the technology of hop cultivation, allowing the most economical use of labor and material resources of the producing enterprise. A distinctive feature of the industry development is the increase in the yield of hop from 1 hectare and the increase in the alpha-acid content. To achieve these goals, consistent intensification and comprehensive mechanization of production are needed. In modern conditions of hop production it can be provided in the shortest possible time with the use of modern machinery and equipment, advanced technology, scientifically based organization of work and saving resources. The analysis of the machinery and mechanisms available in hop production in the Chuvash Republic in 2017 showed that a significant proportion of the work has been mechanized. To date, it is proposed to carry out organizational and economic and technical measures aimed at increasing the specialization of the production, concentrating resources on priority hop-growing operations, intensifying hop production, reducing production costs and increasing competitiveness. In particular, the use of modern technology makes it possible to increase the level of mechanization of hop production and, at the same time, to substantially reduce labor costs from 37.73 man/hour to 19.25 man/hour (about 49%) due to more productive agricultural machines.