Estimation of Timeliness as an Important Parameter for Mechanized Cultivation Operations in Hamedan, Western Iran
Mohammad Bagher LAK1, Mohammad Sadegh BOLUKI2
1 Member of Iranian Society of Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization Engineering (ISAMME), Iran.
2Agricultural Mechanization Engineering student, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Western Iran
Abstract:
It is important to perform cultivation operations at suitable soil condition in order to obtain an optimum result and low total energy input. In this study, available agricultural mechanization parameters were considered in Hamedan, western Iran. The parameters included of: available power per hectare (hp/ha), operation timeliness, and efficient ratio. Available time for farm machinery operations (timeliness) was considered as an important parameter which is restricted by some natural factors such as atmospheric conditions, crop specific growth stages and required operations, and soil and water status. In this study, rained soils with different infiltration velocities in variable soil textures have been considered for fine, medium, or coarse textured soils. Average infiltration interval for each soil texture was predicted according to infiltrability of the soil texture which is inversely depends on infiltration velocities. On the other hand, critical period for farm mechanized operations was calculated which was 60 days (September 22nd to November 20th). Timeliness for farm mechanized operations was calculated by subtracting infiltration interval from total critical period which had been determined by most application period of machinery in the year. In this study role of some worn out tractors which are used in this region could not be denied, because of their numbers. Thereby traction efficiencies (TE) were 0.50 for JD3140, U445, U650 and MF285. Available power per hectare was 0.78 hp/ha (0.58 KW/ha), mechanized operations timeliness was 459 hours, and efficient ratio was 0.68. Although, there is no need to increase in number of tractors, the substitution of the worn out tractors by new ones is necessary.
Key words: Agricultural mechanization parameters, Hamedan, timeliness, efficient ratio, infiltration velocity, critical period.
