Mechanization in agriculture

Mechanization in Agriculture

By: Asmat Babarwww.asmatbabar.blogspot.com

Mechanization Every machine is constructed for the

purpose of performing certain mechanical operations, each of which supposes the existence of two other things besides the machine in question, namely, a moving power, and an object subject to the operation, which may be termed the work to be done. Machines, in fact, are interposed between the power and the work, for the purpose of adapting the one to the other.

HistoryAGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION

Agricultural Mechanization is machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm.

Many advancements in farming techniques and tools have been manifested since agriculture's beginnings thousands of years ago. The greatest strides have occurred in the last three hundred years.

A substantial contribution to agriculture has been the escalation from manual and stock-animal labor to steam-and then gas-powered implements.

In 1900 farmers represented 38 percent of the U.S. labor force. By the end of the century that number had plunged to 3 percent—dramatic evidence of the revolution in agriculture brought about by mechanization.

1902 First U.S. factory for tractors driven by an internal combustion engine

Advantages of MechanizationSubstitute for labourLabour is too expensive to do everything

(in developed countries)Compensate for labour peaks (i.e. harvest)Labour skills and strengths often

inadequate for large scale production and materials handling

Amenity reasons (often repetitive dirty tasks)

Attract or retain farm staffIncrease productivity of farm staff.

Disadvantages of Mechanization

Redundancy - machinery for labour substitution

Cost - finance, fuel etc.Often needs highly skilled

operator, increased wagesOften doesn't live up to

expectationsHealth and safetyEnvironmental costs

Agriculture Mechanization

Agriculture machinery can be divided into following groups

A) Farm machineryB) Irrigation EngineeringC) Drain Engineering

Tractor A tractor is an engineering

vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a traileror machinery used in agriculture or construction.

The word tractor was taken from Latin, being the agent noun of trahere "to pull".

Tractor configurationsTractors can be generally

classified as two-wheel drive, two-wheel drive with front wheel assist, four-wheel drive (often with articulated steering), or track tractors (with either two or four powered rubber tracks).

A modern 4-wheel drive farm tractor

Farm tractor applications

The farm tractor is used for pulling or pushing agricultural machinery or trailers, for plowing, tilling, disking, harrowing, planting, and similar tasks.

Tillage implementTillage is the agricultural

preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning.

Classification of tillage implements

Primary Tillage implements Secondary Tillage Implements

Primary Tillage implements

Mould board PloughDisc PloughReversible or One-way Plough

SPECIAL PLOUGHSSubsoil PloughChisel PloughRotary Plough Basin Lister

Secondary Tillage ImplementsTractor Drawn CultivatorSweep CultivatorHarrowsDisc HarrowBlade HarrowIndigenous Blade HarrowsPlank and Roller

Planting MethodsDrillingBroadcastingAerial SeedingNo-tillage Planting

Spraying EquipmentHand-operated hydraulic sprayers

(knapsack sprayers)Power-operated hydraulic sprayers

(tractor-mounted sprayers)Air carrier sprayers (mist blowers)Electrodyne sprayers (electrostatic

sprayers)Birky sprayers (Birky knapsack sprayers)Controlled-droplet application sprayersDusters

Harvesting machineCombine HarvestingThe combine harvester, or simply

combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. The name derives from its combining three separate operations comprising harvesting—reaping, threshing, and winnowing—into a single process. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, oats,  rye, barley,corn (maize), soybeans and flax (linseed).

Irrigation systemIrrigation is the artificial application of

water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance oflandscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. Additionally, irrigation also has a few other uses in crop production, which include protecting plants against frost, suppressing weed growing in grain fields and helping in preventing soil consolidation.

Types of Irrigation system

SurfaceLocalizedDripSprinklerRotator style pivot applicator

sprinkler Lateral move (side roll, wheel

line) Sub-irrigation

(C) Drainage systemAn agricultural drainage system

is a system by which the water level on or in the soil is controlled to enhance agricultural crop production.

Classification

Surface drainage systemsSubsurface drainage systemsMain drainage systemsMain drainage outlet

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