BLE 211: Principles of
Agriculture and Forestry
Lecture 6
Farm Structures
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Many Farm production processes must be carried out
under more closely controlled conditions in order to
maximize output.
Animals often need to be protected from wind, rain
and sun.
Animals must also be kept in conditions where
diseases and parasites are more readily controlled.
Stored crops must be protected from damaging
elements of water, excessive temperatures, insects
and fungi.
Farm machinery must be protected from rain and dirt
and kept under conditions where corrosion and
general degradation is kept to a minimum.
Categories of Farm structures
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There are many types of structures on farms
depending on the type of farming activities
being carried out on the farm.
 The sizes of individual farm structures may in
some cases be influenced by the size of the
farming project they would be serving.
 On a large dairy farm, the milking parlour
would be bigger and better developed than
on a small dairy farm with only a few animals.
Categories of Farm structures
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They include:
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Fences
Livestock production structures
Crop growing structures
Farm Buildings
Fences are used for:
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Marking boundaries of the farm
Separating land selected for growing crops from
that for pastures.
Dividing pasture into paddocks for controlled
grazing to be carried out.
Controlling the movement of animals thus prevent
the formation of unnecessary paths.
Forms of Fences
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Mainly two forms.
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Dead fences include
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Dead fences
Live fences including
Posts and wires (plain, woven, barbed or electric wires)
Posts and wooden racks
Stones
Trench fences. Common near National parks and Game
reserves. The trench should be fairly wide and deep enough
to hold tightly any animal that falls into it.
Live fences composed mainly of growing trees or
shrubs
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Such fences are commonly called hedges or thorn fences.
The most common trees or shrubs used are Mauritius thorn,
Kei Apple, Euphorbia, Cypress, Cactus and Sisal.
Livestock Structures
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Livestock production structures facilitate various
livestock production activities carried out on the farm
These structures include:
Handling structures such as crushes, spray races
and Dips.
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They are used to control animals when applying chemicals
to prevent ticks.
Housing structures including dairy sheds, calf pens,
rabbit hutches, piggery, and poultry pens, goats and
sheep pens.
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They are constructed to shelter the specific animals from
bad weather (wind, heat, rain, and cold).
They also protect livestock from wild animals and thieves.
They can also be used for feeding the animals.
Crop growing structures and
Farm Buildings
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Crop growing structures
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Include the greenhouses and irrigation set-ups.
They are used to modify the growing environment
for the crops.
Farm Buildings found on a typical farm
include:
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Farm house for the farmer and his family
Labour units for the workers
Stores for harvested produce, animal feed and
seeds
Machinery sheds and workshops
Factories for processing farm produce such as
coffee, tea, sugarcane and sisal among other
products.
Important factors when
planning for Farm Structures
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Total Farm Plan
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Size of enterprise
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Determines the size of the individual structure for that
enterprise.
The potential of the enterprise should be considered so that
plans for future expansion of the enterprise can be made.
Space
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The various farm activities to be developed in the farm
should be planned for.
Enough space should be left between farm buildings and the
homestead to accommodate the type of transport system to
be used on the farm.
View
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The homestead should be located in such a way that it is
possible to have a good view of the farm.
Important factors when
planning for Farm Structures
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Accessibility
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Drainage
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Good drainage is of paramount importance to prevent the
structures from being destroyed.
Wind Direction
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Structure should be easily accessible from most parts of the
farm
Structures with related uses should be put close together,
should be easily accessible without the workers wasting a lot
of time when moving from one structure to the other.
The homestead should be situated away from the direction
of the prevailing winds to avoid bad smells.
Topography
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The structures should be located in a fairly level ground. A
sloppy site may limit construction operations and levelling of
such a site may be very expensive.
Farm Power
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The primary purpose of power units is to
operate farm machinery and equipment for
farming operations such as land preparation,
cultivation, harvesting, processing, handling,
pumping and transporting.
 These operations demand
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Tractive power to pull the equipment
Rotative power to drive implements
Pulley power to operate stationary machines
Automotive power for haulage.
Categories of Power Units
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are three distinct categories of
power units for operating farm
equipment. They include
 Hand-power
 Animal-power
 Mechanical
 The
power.
extent to which use is made of
each different type differs in different
tropical countries.
Human/Hand-power
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This refers to the use of human labour to accomplish
various tasks in the farm including land clearing,
cultivation using a hand hoe, harvesting and simple
transport by carrying loads on the head or back.
 This kind of power is exclusive to small-scale farmers
who have no alternative but to do most of the jobs
themselves.
 Disadvantages
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Human efficiency declines as the hours worked per day
increase.
It cannot cope with large acreages.
Health condition of the workers influences the work done.
It is in the long run more expensive because it is slower and
more unpredictable than using machines.
Animal Power
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Effective use of animals as a source of power
requires that they be in good health, be fully-grown
and well fed.
The animals including donkeys, camels, horses and
oxen provide power for cultivation and transportation.
Advantages of Animal power
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Does not require skilled workers as compared to engine
power.
Can transport heavier loads than hand-power and carry out
other farm operations such as fetching water and fodder
cutting for silage or hay.
Animals operate very well where land is fragmented.
The initial investment and maintenance costs of animals and
their implements are lower than those of tractors and other
machinery are.
A larger acreage can be cultivated than is possible with
human power.
Disadvantages of Animal
Power
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A big portion of land is required for grazing
the animals as part of their maintenance.
 Animals tire quickly, thus reducing the
amount of work to be done.
 The animals health will affect the amount of
work done
 Animals damage crops when they are used
for weeding.
 They are slower than tractors and other fuel
powered machinery.
Mechanical Power
 Mechanical
power units on the farm
include:
 The
internal combustion engine
 The electric motor
 The steam engine
 The water wheel and windmill
 The
internal combustion engine and the
electric motor are the most important
mechanical power units because of their
versatility and flexibility.
Mechanical Power
 Apart
from some stationary machines
which are operated by electric motor,
practically all power for operating
modern farm equipment comes from
internal combustion engines most of
which are mounted on tractors.
 Fossil fuels including oil, gas and coal
are the main sources of energy for of
the mechanical power units.
 Petroleum is the main source of energy
for farm tractors.
Mechanical Power
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Solar energy, biomass energy, nuclear
energy and controlled fusion are some
potential energy sources still being explored
for application in agriculture.
 The use of solar energy for drying farm
products is of course a well-established
technique that is still commonly used in
tropical agriculture.
 Wind energy provides rotary windmill power
used by rural populations for:
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Pumping water for domestic use and for watering
livestock and irrigation of crops.
Threshing and grinding grains, crushing
sugarcane and cutting wood.
Mechanical Power
 Hydroelectric
energy and geothermal
energy are sometimes used to generate
electricity for both rural and industrial
purposes.
 Although petroleum is a non-renewable
and exhaustible resource, it will
nevertheless remain the main energy
supplement to human and animal
energy in agriculture for several
decades.
Farm Machinery
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Farmers are often enabled to do various
operations on their farms by machines.
 The machines help the farmers to practice
efficient timing of farm operations during the
seasons.
 They relieve the farmers of drudgery and long
hours of work.
 Where machines are used, fewer workers are
required hence releasing labour for other
farm operations and saving money.
 The use of machines ensures better quality
produce especially in processes difficult to
execute by hand.
Types of Farm Machinery
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There are three types of farm machinery
including:
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Hand-operated farm implements
Animal-Powered farm equipment
Tractor-Operated Farm Machinery
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In the tropics, land is still cultivated mainly
with hand-operated farm implements.
 Hand tools are
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Simple to make
Easy to repair and maintain.
Usually inexpensive
Give many years of useful service.
Hand-operated farm implements
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Some of the predominant farm hand tools include:
Hoe
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Sickle
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This is a special grain-harvesting knife with a sickle shape
and has a wooden handle and a metal blade.
Machete
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This is a tool with wooden handle and a metal blade that is
an all-purpose tool.
It has a wooden handle and a metal blade and is an allpurpose tool.
Weeding knife
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This is a tool with two wooden handles and a metal blade. It
is curved into a U-shape and is mainly used for weeding.
Animal-Powered farm
equipment
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Animal Power supplements human power in some
tropical developing countries.
 Oxen are the most common animals that are used for
pulling tillage and other cultivation implements such
as ploughs.
 Donkeys are used to transport agricultural products.
 Some examples of the common oxen-driven
implements include
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Ploughs
Seeders/planters
Cultivators
Fertilizer applicators
Threshers
Mowers.
Tractor-Operated Farm
Machinery
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There are several types of tractor operated
farm machinery including:
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Primary tillage equipment e.g. the mouldboard and
disc ploughs.
Secondary tillage equipment e.g. spike-tooth
harrow, spring-tooth harrow and disc harrow.
Planting equipment e.g. maize planters, cassava
planters, wheat planters.
Manure and fertilizer spreaders
Weeders
Sprayers
Harvesters and threshers
Selection of Farm Machinery
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The requirements in planning for farm
mechanization include a detailed study of the
management of the individual farm and suitable
adjustment of the management policy.
To undertake mechanization successfully the
farmer must:
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Choose a set of equipment suited to the particular
needs of the farm.
Learn the most efficient techniques for operating all the
equipment
Ensure effective maintenance of the machinery.
In order to achieve an optimum economic return,
efficient selection of field machinery requires
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The availability of power
Service and spare parts and
Labour and calculation of time-use and costs
Factors Affecting Farm
Machinery Performance
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Knowledge of the performance of any piece
of equipment if of fundamental importance in
its selection, adaption and use.
 The performance of an implement depends
on several factors that vary from place to
place. These factors include:
 Ecological conditions
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The physical and mechanical properties of the soil
Vegetation
Climate (rainfall, temperature, humidity) and
Topography.
Factors Affecting Farm
Machinery Performance
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Agronomic practices including
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Systems of machinery use
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Monocropping
Mixed cropping planting
Row planting
Broadcasting
Types of crops grown.
Depending on whether machinery has private ownership, joint
ownership, and contract work or is hire service.
Technical factors including:
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Adaptability
Availability of spare parts and fuel
Ease of adjustment
Manoeuvrability
Trailed, semi-mounted or self-propelled
Multi-purpose and material of construction.
Factors Affecting Farm
Machinery Performance
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Operator-Machine suitability
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Management factors
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Ergonomics
Operator’s skills and
Mechanical aptitude.
Depending on whether the farm has trained personnel and
good supervision, good workshop and repair facilities,
adequate system of keeping records and incentives.
Socio-political factors
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Government assistance, tax reduction, import reduction and
social inhibitions.
Constraints to Farm
Mechanization
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Many small-scale farmers may not afford to
mechanize their farms due to:
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Lack of money to buy machines.
Farmer’s conservatism and rejection of new methods of
farming.
Lack of technical know-how to operate and maintain
machinery and equipment.
Land fragmentation into uneconomical units.
Topography and land relief.
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Hilly areas are difficult to farm by machine.
Lack of qualified staff to advertise machines and advice
farmers on how to use them.
Unavailability of spare parts to repair machines which break
down.