Farm Mechanization

and Farm Machinery :

Introduction and Level
of Mechanization
Prepared:
CYRIL JAY C. RAPANA
Instructor
Farm Mechanization and Farm Machinery

 Farmmachinery is the application, use, and

management of various agricultural
machines, tools, and equipment used for
production and post-production operation.

 Farm mechanization is the 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 and postharvest
operations.
 Improved irrigation facilities, introduction of high
yielding varieties, use of higher doses of fertilizers
and pesticides have increased the scope for greater
farm mechanization.
 Farm mechanization helps for proper utilization of
basic inputs like water, seed and fertilizer, optimum
placement of the seed and fertilizer, plowing, removal
of weeds, leveling of uneven land and land
reclamation. If machines are used farmer and his
animals are relieved of hard work. With the support of
machines farmer can do his job better and quicker. He
will get more leisure and devote his time to other
works. He can earn better living.
SOURCES OF FARM POWER AND
MECHANIZATION

 Various types of agricultural operations

performed on a farm can be broadly classified
as:

1. Tractive work such as seed bed preparation,

cultivation, harvesting and transportation, and
2. Stationary work like silage cutting, feed
grinding, threshing, winnowing and lifting of
 These operations are performed by different sources
of power namely, human, animal, stationary engine,
tractor, power tiller, electricity, solar and wind. For
doing these operations different types of power
available is classified as:

1. Human power
2. Animal power
3. Mechanical power
4. Electrical power
5. Wind power
HUMAN POWER: The indications are that the decline in
number of laborers employed for agriculture is likely to
increase in future resulting a greater investment in labour
saving devices and mechanical power.

Labour (Human Energy) on Farms: Labour is one of

the most important sources of farm power in regions
where traditional system of agriculture is practiced. On
small farms, high proportion of labor is supplied by the
farmer and his family. Only to meet the peak and
permanent labour requirements, the hired laborers are
employed.
 On small farm having very little spare capital to buy
appropriate type of hand tools and animal drawn
equipment, both labor use efficiency and productivity
are very low.
 Labor use efficiency can be improved by engaging
labor in a group where sequence of operations demands
teamwork for effective output. In the absence of the
team, single man would waste other energies, which
might result into higher cost of operation.
 For example, a power thresher operation always
demands a team effort for efficient utilization of
expensive resources.
ANIMAL POWER: Animal power is the most important source of
power on the farm all over the world particularly in developing
countries. It is estimated that nearly 80 per cent of the total draft
power used in agriculture throughout the world is still provided by
animals. Different animal sources are:

 Bullocks- can pull of about 15% of its weight

 Buffaloes
 Camels
 Horses
 Donkeys-can pull 80 % of its weight for short period and 10-15%
of its weight for sustainable period.
 mules
 and elephants
MECHANICAL POWER is the third important
source of farm power is mechanical power that is
available through tractors and stationary engines.
The engine is a highly efficient device for
converting fuel into useful work. The efficiency of
diesel engine varies between 32 and 38 per cent,
whereas that of the petrol engine in the range of
25 and 32 per cent. The basic reason for their
preference is the economy in operation.
ELECTRICAL POWER
 now-a-days electricity has become a very
important source of power on farms in various
countries.
 The largest use of electric power in the rural
areas is for irrigation and domestic water supply.
Besides this, the use of electric power in dairy
industry, cold storage, fruit processing and
cattle feed grinding has tremendously
increased.
WIND POWER
 The availability of wind power for farm work is
quite limited. Where the wind velocity is more
than 32 km/h, wind mills can be used for lifting
water.
 Itis one of the cheapest sources of farm power
available.
MECHANIZATION CONCEPTS

AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION involves the design,

manufacture, distribution, use and servicing of all types of
agricultural tools, equipment and machines. It includes
three main power sources: human, animal and mechanical
with special emphasis on mechanical (tractive power).

FARM MECHANIZATION: is technically equivalent to

agricultural mechanization but refers to only those activities
normally occurring inside the boundaries of the farm unit or
at the farm unit level (example: village, community, co-
operatives etc).
TRACTORIZATION: refers to the application of any size tractor to activities
associated with agriculture.

MOTORIZATION: refers to the application of all types of mechanical motors or

engines, regardless of energy source, to activities related to agriculture.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS: are devices attached to, pulled behind,

pushed, or otherwise used with human, animal or mechanical power source to
carry out an agricultural operation.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY: is a general term used to describe tractors,

combines, implements, machines and any other device more sophisticated
than hand tools which are animal or mechanically powered.

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT: generally refers to stationary mechanical

devices such as irrigation pump-set.
SCOPE OF MECHANIZATION

 Itis quite true that the farmers of developing

countries have the lowest earnings per
capita because of the low yield per hectare
they get from their land holdings. One of the
few important means of increasing farm
production per hectare is to mechanize it.
SCOPE OF FARM MECHANIZATION

 Thereis a good scope of farm mechanization in India

due to the following factors:

1. Improved irrigation facility in the country.

2. Introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds.
3. Introduction of high dose of fertilizers and pesticides
for different crops.
4. Introduction of new crops in different parts of the
country.
5. Multiple cropping system and intensive cultivation
followed in different parts of the country.
SOME OTHER FACTORS WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE
FARM MECHANIZATION ARE:
1. Population of the country is increasing at the rate of about 2.2% per
year. Steps have to be taken to arrange food and fibre for such large
population by adopting intensive farming in the country. Intensive farming
requires machines on the farm.
2. In multiple cropping programme, where high yielding variety of seeds
are used, all farm operations are required to be completed in limited time
with economy and efficiency. This is possible with the help of
mechanization.
3. Farm mechanization removes drudgery of labour to a great extent. A
farmer has to walk about 66 km on foot while ploughing 1 ha land once by
bullocks with a country plough having 15 cm furrow width.
4. A large number of females and children work on farm. So, with
mechanization females can work at home and children go to school.
5. The proper utilization of basic inputs like water, seeds and fertilizers will
be possible with proper equipment.
6. There are certain operations which are rather
difficult to be performed by animal power or human
labour such as:

a. Deep ploughing in case of deep rooted crops.

b. Killing the pernicious weeds by deep tillage
operations.
c. Levelling of uneven land.
d. Land reclamation.
e. Application of insecticides during epidemic seasons.
These operations need heavy mechanical equipment.
BENEFITS OF FARM MECHANIZATION

 There are various benefits of farm mechanization:

1. Timeliness of operation
2. Precision of operation
3. Improvement of work environment
4. Enhancement of safety
5. Reduction of drudgery of labour
6. Reduction of loss of crops and food products
7. Increased productivity of land
8. Increased economic return to farmers
9. Improved dignity of farmers
10. Progress and prosperity in rural areas
Thank you for Listening…..
Assignment:

A. PRESENT STATUS OF FARM MECHANIZATION in

the Philippines.
B. Types of Agricultural Machineries and their
use/s.