Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant professor in Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AERI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization(AREEO), Karaj, Iran

2 , Associate professor in Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AERI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization(AREEO), Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Rice with the cultivation area of more than 565 thousand hectares and production amount of 2.45 million tons is the second most important crop after wheat in Iran. Most of cultivated area is also located in Mazandaran and Guilan province. It is clear that reaching to self-sufficiency in rice production is not possible without assessment of current status of rice mechanization. Therefore present study was conducted to determine current status of rice mechanization and propose needed solutions to improve it. Data were gathered by completing questionnaire and by reviewing the literature and field surveying. In view of information obtaeined; degree of mechanization, level of mechanization, capacity of mechanization, economic efficiency of mechanization, field efficiency of machine, potential ability of machine, working hours and days and productivity coefficient of machine were calculated. The results showed that degree of mechanization of primary tillage and secondary tillage was 99.7 and 99.3%, planting operation with transplanter was 22.69% and harvesting operation with mower and combine was 72.8 %. The lowest degree of mechanization of rice production was obtained for mechanical weeding with the value of 8%. The level of mechanization was calculated 2.63 hp/ha. Mean economic efficiency of mechanization and capacity of mechanization of rice was found to be 1.87 ton/ha and 235 hp.hr/ha, respectively.

Keywords

Afzalinia, S. and Shaaker, M. 2002. Comparison and selection of different combinations of rice milling machines. Research Report. Agricultural Engineering Research Institute. Iran. (in Persian)
 
Alizadeh, M. R. 2001. Effect of hulling ratio on rice breakage. Research Report. Rice Research Institute of Iran. Iran. (in Persian)
 
Alizadeh, M. R. and Bagheri, I. 2009. Field performance evaluation of different rice threshing methods. Int. J. Nat. Eng. Sci. 3(3): 139-143. (in Persian)
 
Almassi, M., Kiani, S. and Loveimi, N. 2009. Principle of Agricultural Mechanization. Jungle Pub.
(in Persian)
 
Anon. 2014. Statistics Reports of Agriculture. Vol. 1. Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture of Iran. Department of Planning and Economy. Statistics and Information Technology Office. Available at: http://dpe.agri-jahad.ir/portal/Home/ Default. (in Persian)
 
Dehghan, M. 1998. Agricultural mechanization crisis in islamic republic of iran and remedies. The First National Congress on Agricultural Machinery Engineering and Mechanization of Iran. Sep. 5-7. Karaj, Iran. (in Persian)
 
Esfahani, M., Alizadeh, M. R., Sabouri, S., Motamed, K. and Amiri, Z. 2010. Analysis losses and waste reduction strategies. Available at: agrobreed.ir/journal/P10-2.pdf. (in Persian)
 
Farhadi, H. 2000. Study and evaluation current status of agricultural mechanization in Marvdasht region and suggesting suitable improvement methods.  M. Sc. Thesis. Department of Agricultural Machinery and Mechanization. Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University. (in Persian)
 
Firouzi, S. 2014. An assessment of rice cultivation mechanization in Northern Iran (Langarud county in Guilan province). International Journal of Biosci. (IJB). 5(3): 110-115.
 
Firouzi, S. 2015. A survey on the current status of mechanization of paddy cultivation in iran (case of Guilan province). Int. J. Agric. Manage. Dev. (IJAMAD). 5(2): 117-124.
 
 
Fouad, H. A., Tayel, S. A., EI-Hadad, Z. and Abdel-Mawla, H. 1990. Performance of two different types of combines in harvesting rice in Egypt. Agr. Mech. Asia, Af. (AMA). 21(3): 17-22
 
Heidari-Soltan Abadi, M. and  Hemmat, A. 2007. Effect of blade distance from the agitator and output rate on rice quality in a modified blade-type milling. J. Sci. Technol. Agric. Nat. Resour. 11(1): 135-146. (in Persian)
 
Loghmanpour-Zarini, R., Akram, A. and Tabatabae-Koloor, R. 2012. A comparative study on conventional and mechanized rice fields in Sari. The 7th National Congress on Agricultural Machinery Engineering and Mechanization of Iran. Sep. 5-7. Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. (in Persian)
 
 
Loveimi, N. 1999. Evaluating mechanization status in northern Ahwaz and suggestion of suitable mechanized method. M. Sc. Thesis. Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering and Mechanization, Shahid Cha mran University, Ahvaz, Iran. (in Persian)
 
Loveimi, N., Gilany, A. A. and Alizadeh, M. R. 2008. The effect Of harvesting method on losses for two rice varieties in Khuzestan province. J. Agric. Eng. Res. 9(3): 89-106. (in Persian)
 
Nazardad, E. 2007. Effect of Agricultural Mechanization on Yield and Waste of Rice. Agriculture and Natural Resources Engineering Disciplinary Organization. Available at: http://main.iaeo.org.
(in Persian)
 
Payman, M. H. 1999. Study rice milling systems in Iran and World. The 7th Rice National Symposium.  Karaj, Iran. (in Persian)

 

Safari, M., Khosravani-Goshtasb, A., Zarif-Neshat, S., Asadi, A., Shamabadi, Z. A., Loveimi, N., Adelzadeh, R., Saati, M., Roozbeh, M., Azadshahraki, S. and Hedayatipour, A. 2005. Determination of coefficients and indices related to primary tillage using three bottoms moald board plow and conventional tractors in ten areas. Research Report. No.84/1400. Agricultural Engineering Research Institute. (in Persian)

 

Shaaker, M. 2004. Effect of the speed variation of abrasive rice whitening on breakage and milling loss of rice. Research Report. No.83/1461. Agricultural Engineering Research Institute. (in Persian)
 
Shaaker, M. and Alizadeh, M. R. 2001. The effect of paddy moisture on rice breakage and total rice recovery. Annual Research Report. Agricultural Engineering Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research & Education Center. Shiraz, Iran. (in Persian)
 
Siebenmorgen, T. J., Perdon, A. A., Chen, X. and Mauromous, A. 1998. Relating rice milling
quality changes during adsorption to individual kernel moisture content distribution. Cereal Chem.
75(1): 129-136.
 
Vicha, M., Kastsunobu, G. and Yoshiaki, G. 1992. Performance test of rice combine harvesters. Kasetsart J. Nat. Sci. 26, 97-102.
 
Yan, T. Y., Hong, J. H. and Chung, J. H. 2005. An improved method for the prediction of white embryo in a vertical mill. Biosyst. Eng. 92(3): 317-323.