Agsc 20

• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  1. Increases work efficiency:

  • Efficiency means more work done in lesser time and manpower
  • Greater coverage
  • Lesser time
  • Faster pace
  • Reduces costs/expenses
  • Output: Reduces costs, Outcome: Increases profitability
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  2. Makes the job easier in labor-intensive operations
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  3. Ensure timely completion of farm activities
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  4. Resolve scarce labor during peak periods
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  5. Allows more precise application of inputs
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  6. Reduces losses
• Importance of machines and equipment in farming:

  7. Maintains product quality
• Terminologies:

  • Farm Implements: devices used with human, animal, or mechanical power for agricultural operations
  • Farm Machinery: includes tractors, combines, and more sophisticated devices
  • Farm Equipment: refers to stationary mechanical devices like irrigation pump-sets
• Challenges faced by the Agricultural Sector:

  1. Meet the growing demand for food

  2. Increase agricultural production with less labor, land, and water

  3. Increase profitability of agricultural production

  4. Meet quality standards for farmers' products

  5. Reduce production costs
• Government's Mandate Regarding Agricultural Mechanization:

  • Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997
  • Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law of 2012
  • Focus on increasing farm income and modernizing agriculture
• Negative Consequences of Farm Mechanization:

  1. Labor displacement

  2. Problems with capital investments

  3. Sustainability of government subsidies
• Types of Agricultural Operations:

  1. Tractive: mobile operations like tillage, harvesting, and planting

  2. Stationary: fixed operations like threshing and milking
• Sources of Farm Power:

  1. Human

  2. Animal

  3. Engine

  4. Electric motor

  5. Solar

  6. Water

  7. Wind

  8. Steam
• Lesson 1.1: Machines Used in Crop Production

  • Explain the features and applications of pre- and postharvest machines
• Objectives of Tillage:

  1. Obtain a deep seedbed suitable for different crops

  2. Control or remove unwanted plants

  3. Manage plant residues

  4. Minimize soil erosion

  5. Establish specific surface configurations

  6. Incorporate fertilizers, pesticides, or soil amendments

  7. Accomplish segregation
• Inter-row cultivation is performed when crops are planted and established to control weeds between the rows of crops using a cultivator
• A cultivator is an implement used to loosen the soil and control weeds between rows of growing crops
• Types of plowing patterns:

  • Circuitous: plowing begins at the edge of the field and works toward the center, throwing the soil towards the outside
  • Headland (One-way): plowing begins in the center and works out to the edges, leaving a level field with drainage channels on the edges
  • Headland (Gathering): plowing begins at the edges and furrow slices are turned to the edges of the field
• Basic parts of the Disc Harrow:

  • Disc: circular concave revolving steel plate for cutting and inverting the soil
  • Gang: set of discs mounted on a common shaft
  • Gang bolt: a square-headed bolt from which a set of discs are mounted
• Classes of Disc Harrow:

  • Single action: two gangs placed end to end in opposite directions
  • Double action: also called tandem disc harrow, consists of two or more gangs where the front and back gangs throw the soil in opposite directions
• Types of Double Action Disc Harrow:

  • Tandem disc harrow: comprised of four gangs where each gang can be angled in opposite directions
  • Off-set disc harrow: with two gangs in tandem, capable of being off-set to either side of the center line of pull
• Planting methods:

  • Broadcasting: random scattering of seeds on the surface
  • Dibbling: placing seeds in holes made on the seedbed
  • Drilling: dropping seeds in furrows and covering them with soil
  • Transplanting: planting seedlings in a prepared field
• Types of seed equipment:

  • Broadcasting seed equipment: Drone seeder
  • Drilling seed equipment: Manual Push seeder, Rice drum seeder, Tractor mounted seeder
  • Dibbling equipment: Planter
  • Transplanting equipment: Walk-behind rice transplanter, Riding type rice transplanter
• Considerations when using seeding equipment:

  1. Correct amount of seed per unit area

  2. Correct depth when seeds are placed in the soil

  3. Correct plant spacing between rows

  Calibrating the machine is crucial before planting
• Crop protection equipment includes application equipment used to apply liquid chemicals on plants to control pests and diseases, and disinfect animal housing establishments
• Types of sprayers based on output capacity:

  • High-volume sprayer (> 400 L/ha)
  • Low-volume sprayer (5-400 L/ha)
  • Ultra-low sprayer (< 5 L/ha)
• Types of manually operated sprayers:

  1. Hand-held atomizer sprayer

  2. Hand compression type

  3. Rocker sprayer

  4. Stirrup sprayer

  5. Knapsack sprayer
• Types of power sprayers:

  1. Motorized Knapsack sprayer

  2. Hydraulic sprayer

  3. Tractor-mounted sprayer

  4. Air blast sprayer
• Power sprayer components:

  • Capacity
  • Pump
  • Fan
  • Control valve
  • Filling unit
  • Spout adjustable handle
  • Spraying nozzles
• Power sprayers release the pesticide solution into a stream of air blast produced by the centrifugal blower
• The air blast distributes chemicals in the form of very fine particles throughout its swath
• Duster:

  • Machine used to apply chemicals in dust form
  • Uses air streams to carry pesticides in finely divided form on plants
  • Components: hopper, agitator, feed control, fan or blower, delivery nozzle
• Types of Sprayers:

  • Power sprayer
  • Aerotech cyclone 1500 sprayers
• Drone-mounted sprayer:

  • 5-liter capacity fluid tank
  • Components: 6 BLDC motors, 2 LiPo batteries, pesticide tank, pump, supporting frame
  • Uses a 12V DC motor coupled with a pump to pressurize spray liquid and atomize it through four nozzles
• Parts of the Knapsack Sprayer:

  • Nozzle (regulates spray pattern and mists)
  • Spray boom (includes spray lance and nozzle)
  • Pressure gauge (shows pressure reading)
• Sprayer Nozzles:

  • Device used to break apart a fluid flow into a spray pattern
  • Functions: atomizes liquid into droplets, disperses droplets in a specific pattern, regulates liquid flow rate, provides hydraulic momentum
• Types of Nozzles:

  1. Hollow cone: finer droplets than solid cone, recognized by donut-shaped spraying pattern

  2. Solid cone or full cone: cone-shaped spraying pattern, ideal for sideward or upward pesticide application

  3. Flat Fan: mountain-shaped spray pattern, suitable for low-growing crops, weeds, and soil, especially when using herbicide