Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Bayombong Campus
DEGREE
PROGRAM
SPECIALIZATION
YEAR LEVEL
CAS 2A
CAS 2B
CAS 2C
2
COURSE NO.
AG- ENG 1
COURSE TITLE
TIME FRAME
Basic Farm Machinery and Mechanization
2
IM NO.
5 hrs WK NO.
2
I.
UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE: FARM/ AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION
II.
LESSON TITLE: What is Farm/ Agricultural Mechanization
Concept of Farm Mechanization
Scope of Farm Mechanization
Benefits of Farm Mechanization
Constraints in Farm Mechanization
State of farm mechanization
Social Consideration to farm Mechanization
Goal of Farm Mechanization
III.
LESSON OVERVIEW
Students will learn the definition of Farm/Agricultural Mechanization, the concept, scope, Benefits,
constraints, State, goal, and social consideration to farm mechanization.
IV.
DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the topic, the students must be able to explain the importance, concept, scope and
benefits of farm/ Agricultural mechanization to agriculture
V.
LESSON CONTENT
FARM MECHANIZATION
Refers to the manufacture, distribution, and utilization of tools, implements, and machines and
the provision of the after sales service for the development of farmlands, agricultural production and postproduction processes.
Agricultural mechanization is a system of production of food and fiber that embraces the use of tools,
implement and machines for agricultural land development, production, harvesting, and on-farm
processing. It includes three main power sources: human, animal and mechanical. Natural power (solar,
water, and wind) are included in mechanical power because a mechanical device is needed to transfer
this power into useful work. As a discipline, agricultural mechanization covers the manufacture,
distribution, and utilization of tools, implements, and machines. -- FAO definition
Agricultural mechanization is the application of animal and machine power to multiply man’s ability
to perform production operations. Mechanization permits man to multiply his production by the use of
animal or fuel power. Mechanization allows the performance of tasks efficiently. - Loyd Johnson, 1964.
Levels of agricultural mechanization:
a. Hand tool technology – simplest and most basic level; use pf tools and simple implements powered
by human muscle. Even where sophisticated levels of mechanization are commonly used, hand tool
technology retains importance in agricultural operations.
b. Draft animal technology – implements and machines utilizing animal muscle as the power source.
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 1 of 6
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
c. Mechanical power technology – most sophisticated level; agricultural machinery powered by
mechanical or non-animate sources.
Changes necessary for agricultural mechanization:
a.In farm size and layout – present paddy size is most efficient for animal and man farming operations
but not for mechanized operations; energy available has limited such size; that’s why large landownership
resulted in tenant system
b.In farm practices and crops grown – mechanization overcomes peak energy requirements to
permit a second crop or next crop immediately following the previous crop, hence increasing cropping
intensity
c.In social systems – mechanization is based solely on cash exchange which is true in any industry
that makes use of power.
1.Bayanihan system is limited because time and favors are exchanged; exchange of labor is now
getting rare.
2.Cooperatives have been suggested and tried many times but with little or no success because
members must have self-discipline and equality.
3.Contractor-cash system – works in nearly all micro to macro service enterprises, like milling and
threshing, transportation, private schools, hospitals, construction. Thus, custom service operation
appears to be a viable strategy for promoting mechanization because it is based on direct clientprovider relationship where under normal market forces, the client has power over the provider and
can demand quality and value or the next provider gets the contract. Here the poor farmer is in
control over the essential services provided.
4.Government-implemented mechanization systems have not been successful in the Philippines and
anywhere else in the world. The main reason is that services are not direct but pass through
policymakers and the bureaucracy and nobody is held accountable. (Ref. Deverajan, S. and R.
Reinikka. Making services work for poor people. Finance and Development, September 2003. An IMF
publication).
Agricultural machinery refers to the tools, implements, and equipment manufactured and used for field
operations to effect land preparation, including land clearing and land forming, crop establishment, crop care
and maintenance, and crop harvest and processing as well as to those for the establishment, care and
maintenance of poultry, livestock, and aquaculture. Agricultural machines need energy sources or motive
power equipment to operate them.
Land consolidation is the grouping together of small parcels of land comprising a contiguous area and
reforming the boundaries for the purpose of effecting suitable field shapes and sizes conducive to efficient
operation of agricultural machinery, building access roads, field irrigation and drainage canals as well as
allotting spaces for crop postharvest processing structures. The initial steps in planning for land consolidation
consist of topographic surveys and determining the layout of the required infrastructures (requiring an
agricultural engineer’s professional work). Certain mutually agreed arrangements (may require the
intervention of a third party, like an NGO or government, like DAR, DA, and DECS) among the farmers
involved are made in relocating boundaries, removal of existing bounds and leveling along contours, which
may entail land swapping, sales (may involve outside areas to consolidate conjugal or family land properties
into one area), donations, or equitable sharing of labor and benefits, especially in rice paddies.
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 2 of 6
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
Implementation of land consolidation requirements may be facilitated by forming farmer cooperatives or
groups, reselling or leasing the land to an agribusiness or agro-industrial entrepreneur or corporation, which
would demand a large farm area to effect economies of scale. It can also be facilitated by farm planning and
implementing land consolidation physical infrastructures on a single or family owned area before titling and
distributing the land parcels to the farmer beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP). Land consolidation is expected to be a torturous endeavor that will need education and information
among those directly affected and is a step towards modernizing agriculture through gradual change from
unproductive, unprofitable or low-income generating marginal farming systems to efficient and profitable
large-scale and modernized farming. The current small landholder-farmers will retire and their children will
be encouraged and assisted to get college education so that none of them will engage in marginal farming
as an economic base. Certain safety nets may be in place to ensure food and financial security in case of
economic downturns and natural and man-made calamities.
Farmland clustering is the grouping together of farms in an area (initially forming a minimum of 50-ha
cluster) for synchronized farming operations from land preparation to harvesting in cooperation or contract
with agricultural mechanized operations service providers for the purpose of making field operations efficient
and thus, effect low cost, timely, and professional or high quality services to the benefit also of the farmers
forming the cluster. Within a farm or among neighboring farms, the farmers in the cluster agree to remove
or relocate boundaries or physical barriers (yet retaining the integrity of property lines on paper or corner
markers on land or both) to effect minimum interruptions of field operations, like in continuous plowing,
planting, and harvesting across property lines. Farmland clustering has shown success, acceptance, and
benefits among farmers in corn farmland areas in Isabela and Quirino provinces through the efforts of
cooperatives and private custom operation service providers and encouragement by the DA and DAR.
MECHANIZED AGRICULTURE
It is the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanize the work of agriculture, greatly
increasing farm worker productivity. The effective mechanization contributes to increase production in
two major ways: firstly, the timeliness of operation and secondly the good quality of work. The requirement
of power for certain operations like seedbed preparation, cultivation and harvesting becomes so great
that the existing human and animal power in the country appears to be inadequate. As a result, the
operations are either partially done or sometimes completely neglected, resulting in low yield due to poor
growth or untimely harvesting or both.
CONCEPT OF FARM MECHANIZATION
The main concept of farm mechanization is to apply the principles of engineering and technology
to do the agricultural operations in a better way to increase crop yield. This includes the development,
application and management of all mechanical aids for field operation, water control, material handling,
storage and processing. Mechanical aids include hand tools, animal drawn implements, power tillers,
tractors, engines, electric motors, grain processing and hauling equipment.
SCOPE OF MECHANIZATION
It is quite true that the farmers have the lowest earnings per capita because of the low yield per
hectare they get from their holdings. One of the few important means of increasing farm production per
hectare is to mechanize it. Mechanization in India may have to be done at various levels. Broadly, it can
be done in three different way
I.
By introducing the improved agricultural implements on small size holdings to be operated
by bullocks.
II.
By using the small tractors, tractor-drawn machines and power tillers on medium holdings
to supplement existing sources.
III.
By using the large size tractors and machines on the remaining holdings to supplement
animal power source.
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 3 of 6
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
But many people are of the opinion that Indian agriculture cannot be fully mechanized.
Only the improved animal-drawn implements should be introduced. It is felt that
1. There is a surplus of agricultural labor .
2. There are enough draft animals available in the country to do the farm work effectively.
3. The size of farm holdings of the majority of the farmers is too small to justify the use of
a tractor on their farms.
4. The investing capacity, of the farmers is too poor to buy a tractor and tractor-drawn
implements.
5. The technical know-how of the people in the country is low.
6. In the absence of suitable farm road system, the tractor and tractor-drawn machines
cannot be effectively utilized under the present conditions.
7. It will not be possible to increase the yield by using mechanical power.
8. Mechanization will not result in lowering the cost of production.
9. It will not be possible to mechanize every bit of farm operation.
10. A large labor force will get displaced from agriculture.
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 labor
6. Reduction of loss of crops and food products
7. Increased productivity of land
8. Increased economic return to farmer
9. Improved dignity of farmer
10. Progress and prosperity in rural areas
CONSTRAINTS IN FARM MECHANISATION (LIMITING FACTORS IN FARM MECHANIZATION)
1. Small land holdings
2. Less investing capacity of farmers
3. Adequate availability of draft animals
4. Lack of suitable farm machine for different operations
5. Lack of repair and servicing facilities for machines
6. Lack of trained man power
7. Lack of coordination between research organization and manufacturer
8. High cost of machines
9. Inadequate quality control of machines
STATE OF MECHANIZATION
Agricultural system all over the world has undergone changes in terms of cropping system, type
of power sources used and application of inputs to achieve high level of productivities. Even in India,
mechanization of agriculture has advanced considerably. In certain region, the level of mechanization
has gone far ahead of the average level in the country. Human and animal power sources are no longer
the predominant sources on Indian farms. The annual addition of tractor population is more than one
hundred thousand tractors. Similarly, about the hundred thousand pump sets are being installed on Indian
farms annually. On the basis of annually critical review of the mechanization position, one observes that
the shortage of labor and high labor wages are the factors which strongly propel mechanization.
Consequently, the more labor-intensive operations, such as pumping of irrigation water, land preparation
and threshing are the first operations, which are mechanized. Large amount labor or draft power, which
can be replaced through machines, provides a strong incentive to mechanize. The farm operations, which
can be categorized as:
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 4 of 6
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
I.
II.
III.
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
Highly power intensive operations,
Intermediate power and control intensive operations,
Highly control intensive operations.
SOCIAL CONSIDERATION TO FARM MECHANIZATION
The steps towards development of an appropriate agricultural technique in India are not working
with the motto of saving labor but of improving and increasing agricultural production. Most people believe
that India is burdened with surplus labor and that there are far too many draft animals for the cultivation
of available farmland. Above all, there is an unfounded fear that farm mechanization will precipitate
widespread rural unemployment as agriculture contributes over two-thirds of all jobs in India. The fact is
however, that India's increased food requirements must be met through increased productivity of the land
from higher yields and more multiple cropping which would require additional labor for carrying out
different farm operations. From the energy application point of view, the Indian agriculture is in the
transition from stage 1 (human power) and stage 2 (animal power) to stage 3 and 4 (power tiller or four
wheel tractor). However, animal power will co-exist with mechanical power in the country. Animal drawn
machines must be provided with tiding arrangements so that walking behind the machine can be avoided.
The following can help in increasing the agricultural production in the country:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Agriculture must continue to productively employ as many or more laborers per
cultivated hectare in the foreseeable future.
The small & scattered land holdings and the poor economic conditions of the
average farmer restrict the use of units designed for large-scale mechanization.
The power tillers and related equipment, therefore, find a greater scope to be used
on such farms. Power tillers attached with rotavator are better suited for puddling
operations in rice growing regions.
The power availability on the farm should be increased by 2.5 times more to
achieve 5 objectives under intensive agriculture in low intensive energy use areas.
Cropping intensity should be increased to 200 to 250 per cent level from the
present level of 100 to I80 per cent.
Due to the fragmentation of lands, the number of holdings has gone up and
therefore, appropriate size of farm machines have to the introduced for the tillage,
planting transplanting and harvesting of crops. Custom hiring of machines will
have large scope in future.
An economical multi-crop thresher may be developed to suit farmers’ need. High
capacity threshers capable of threshing wheat and paddy crop at 15 to 20 per cent
moisture content need immediate attention.
Custom hiring of farm equipment should be encouraged as it has resulted to the
increased power availability on the farms and in turn increased land productivity.
Post harvest technology deserves special attention on Indian farms.
GOAL OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION
Is to sustain agricultural production by bringing in more lands under cultivation, saving energy and
resources, protecting the environment, and increasing the overall economic welfare of farmers.
VI.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
- Reading
- Assignment
- Research/Survey
VII.
EVALUATION
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 5 of 6
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.:AG-ENG 1- 2 Sem-2021-2022
VIII.
ASSIGNMENT (Handwritten)
IX.
1. In your own opinion, despite the advantages of farm mechanization, discuss the disadvantages or
effects of farm machinery and mechanization to small farmers and farm laborers. (50pts)
2. Do you think, Agricultural Engineers will design more farm machineries in the Philippines? Discuss
your answer. (50pts)
REFERENCES
J. Brownlee Davidson, Agricultural Engineering. St Paul Minn..Web Publishing Co.
“ In accordance with section 185, Fair use of copyrighted work of Republic Act 8293, the copyrighted works included in this materials may be reproduced
for Educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220)
Page 6 of 6