Introduction to Farm Machineries PDF

# Basic Farm Machineries and Mechanization ## Agri-9 ## Terminologies - **Agricultural Machinery** deals with the study of the application, use and management of various agricultural machines, tools and equipment employed for the production and post-production operations. - **Agricultural Mechanizat...

# Basic Farm Machineries and Mechanization ## Agri-9 ## Terminologies - **Agricultural Machinery** deals with the study of the application, use and management of various agricultural machines, tools and equipment employed for the production and post-production operations. - **Agricultural Mechanization** development, manufacture and extension of appropriate agricultural tools, implements, and machinery using animal, human, mechanical, electrical, and other renewable sources of energy for agricultural production and development as well as postharvest operations. - **Agricultural and Fishery Machinery** Machinery and equipment for the production, post production, and processing, manufacture, transportation. and distribution of agricultural and fishery products. ## Classification of Agricultural Machine ### 1 Farmstead Equipment - Equipment other than agricultural field equipment used in agricultural operation for the production of food and fiber. - These include livestock equipment, waste handling system, crop drying and milling systems, material handling systems, and others ### 2 Agricultural Field Equipment - Equipment designed primarily for agricultural field operation. - These include agricultural tractors, self-propelled machines, implements, and their combinations. ### Agricultural Field Equipment - Equipment designed primarily for agricultural field operation. - These include agricultural tractors, self-propelled machines, implements, and their combinations. ### 1 Agricultural Tractor - Traction machine designed primarily to supply power to agricultural implements and farmstead equipment. ## Classification of Tractor Types ### A According to method of securing traction and propulsion 1. Wheel tractors 2. Track-type tractor 3. Walking-type Tractor ### B According to Utility 1. General Purpose 2. Row-crop Type 3. Orchard 4. Industrial 5. Garden or Lawn ### Wheel-type tractor - The predominating type of machine particularly for agricultural purposes. - Three-wheel or tricycle was used exclusively for row-crop operations and production. - Four-wheel tractors with adjustable front axle for both wheel tread and clearance height have replaced the tricycle type. ### Track-type tractors - Have traction mechanism that consist of two heavy, endless, metal-linked devices known as tracks. - Owell adapted for commercial orchard cultivation and maintenance; for grain and other crop production operations in some hilly sections; for terracing, road maintenance, and special earth-moving jobs on large farms, particularly in irrigated areas; and for land clearing. ### General purpose or utility tractor - One of more or less conventiona design such as ordinary four-wheel machine. - It is made to perform practically all tractor jobs such as plowing, harrowing, road grading, combining, hay baling, and the like ### Orchard tractors - Are small or medium-size, general purpose machines, so constructed and equipped to be operated to better advantage around trees. - Built lower, with few projecting parts and with special fenders. ### All-purpose tractor or row-crop type - Is a tractor designed to handle practically all the field jobs on the average farm including the planting anc intertillage of row crops. ### Industrial tractors - Are machines of any size or type specially constructed for various industrial operations and for heavy hauling about factories, airports, and so on. - Equipped with hoisting, excavating, power-loading and other similar attachments. ### Garden tractors - Smallest tractors with light-weight two-wheel machines powered by 2 to 5 hp engine and guided with two handle bars with the operated walking behind it. - Rotary tillers belong to this category. - The modern garden tractors have four wheels and adapted to - lawn moving, earth moving, trench digging, sawing, and to common garden and field operations (plowing, harrowing, planting, cultivating, etc) ## 2 Agricultural Implement - Implement that is designed to perform agricultural operations. - These are further classified into: (a) towed; (b) mounted; and (c) semi-mounted implements - Disc Plow - Moldboard plow - Subsoiler - Disc Harrow - Rotary Plow - Chisel Plow ## 3. Self-Propelled Machine - Implement designed with integral power unit to provide both mobility and power for performing agricultural operations - Harvester - Baler - Sprayer - Windrower ## "Classifications of Agricultural Field Equipment According to Operation" ### 1. Tillage Equipment - Include plow and harrow used to prepare the land to make it ready for seeding and planting operations. ### 2. Crop Establishment Equipment - Used to place seeds or plant parts into the prepared seedbed and subsequently fertilize them ### 3. Crop Maintenance Equipment - Include cultivating, weeding, spraying, dusting, as well as irrigation equipment aimed to make sure that the crop grows to produce its potential yield. ## 4. Harvesting and Threshing Equipment - Equipment used to gather and separate the produce or harvest from the panicles and make it ready for primary processing operations. ## 5. Drying Equipment - Equipment used to reduce the moisture of the product to a level that it can be safely stored with minimum loss from spoilage. ## 6. Milling Equipment - Equipment used to process the product ready for consumption. ## 7. Storage Equipment - Equipment used to keep the product safe from deterioration or spoilage for prolong period of storage. ## Mechanization Level - The farm mechanization level in the Philippines is now at 2.679 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha), a marked increase from the 2.31 hp/ha pegged in 2013. - Mechanization in any area is characterized in 3 levels: Low, Fair & High - **Low Mechanization** - manual power used exceeds 33% - **Fair Mechanization** - Animal power used is 34-100% - **High Mechanization** - Mechanical power is used 67-100% ## Effects of Farm Mechanization - Increased agricultural productivity and profitability - Shorter time of operation - Better quality of work - Efficient utilization of crop inputs - Undoubtedly, farm mechanization displaced animal power from 60 to 100% but resulted in less time for farm work ## Problems of Mechanization 1. Limited access to credit and agricultural insurance 2. Inadequate postharvest facilities 3. Inadequate irrigation 4. Limited support for research and development (R&D) 5. Weak extension service. ## AFMech Law - Republic Act 10601 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law - Approved in June 5, 2013, published in June 14, 2013 and subsequently took effect on June 28, 2013. - The Law mandates the formulation of a comprehensive national policy on cost-effective and environmentally-safe agriculture and fisheries to achieve food security and increase farmers' income. ## Agencies involved in Agricultural Mechanization | Number | Agency | Description | | -------- | -------- | -------- | | 01 | Bureau of Agricultural and Fishery Engineering (BAFE) | Created to strengthen the agricultural and fishery engineering group and directly supervised by DA Undersecretary | | 02 | Philippine Center for Postharvest and Mechanization (PhilMech) | Coordinate, plan, and execute agriculture and fishery mechanization and postharvest RDE programs and DA projects. | | 03 | Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) | Develops standards for agriculture and fishery machinery, tools and equipment in coordination with accredited testing centers, and other concerned government and private entities.| | 04 | Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) | Designated as premier and reference testing center in the country and for the purpose of functional coordination and integration, and closely coordinate its activities with BAFS and BAFE.| | 05 | Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization Committee (AFMeC) | Inter-agency committee which serves as advisory to the Secretary on mechanization | | 06 | Philippine Center for Postharvest and Mechanization (PhilMech) | Coordinate, plan, and execute agriculture and fishery mechanization and postharvest RDE programs and DA projects. | | 07 | Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) | In-charge of rice mechanization | | 08 | Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) | In-charge of developing small-scale irrigation projects | | 09 | Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) | base of the Agricultural Engineering RDE Network | | 10 | Regional Agricultural Engineering Group (RAEG) | In-charge of agricultural mechanization concerns in the different regions. | | 11 | Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP) | Research and extension on agricultural mechanization; Philippine counterpart of the Regional Network for Agricultural Machinery (RNAM) | | 12 | Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilsCAT) | Adaption and promotion for Chinese agricultural machinery for local condition | | 13 | Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) | Base of the Agricultural Engineering R&D team which provides policy direct for agricultural mechanization. | | 14 | Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, Dealers and Distributors Association (AMMDA) | Heart of the agricultural machinery manufacturing, marketing and after -sales service | ## Economics in Farm Machineries "Commonly Used Parameters in Analyzing the Economics of Agricultural Machines" ### 1. Production Cost Analysis - How much is the cost to produce a certain agricultural machine? ### 2. Operating Cost analysis - How much is the cost to operate the machine? ### 3. Payback Period - How long the investment on the machine can be recovered? ### 4. Benefit-Cost Ratio - How much benefit can be derived per unit investment on the machine ### 5. Return on Investment - How many percent can be derived from the investment of the machine? ### 6. Internal Rate of Return - How many percent can the project pay for the use of money if the project is to break-even?