Crop-machinery management system for field operations and adopted planning techniques for plantation sugar cane production

Abstract

Major objectives of farm mechanization are to maximize production at minimum risks and optimum cost of equipment usage by good management planning and operation of machines to carry out sequence crop production operations for the whole farming system. Hence this study was needed at Sunti Golden Sugar Company, Nigeria to determine cost of equipment use and select appropriate tractor power and machinery for the crop cultivation, crop establishment, weed control, cane harvesting and transporting to the store for post-harvest processing for future target of 4,770 ha of sugar cane farm. Based on agricultural farm size, field operational planning factors like soil, weather/environmental conditions, each implement matched with appropriate tractor size was calculated. Costs of equipment use, ownership and operational costs for implements and tractors were also calculated. A well-drawn cropping field operations calendar was very important for crop and operational sequencing was recommended and was put in-place since the operations overlaps with multi-periods. As part of the recommendation, during the planned equipment downtime, major repairs and maintenance were to be carried out before critical field operation's period to improve pre-field and in-field efficiency for effective equipment and field operational planning and management. Determined are the values of each implement field capacity within allotted time available, actual number of implement/tractor power required, fuel and oil consumption per unit time for the sugar cane cultivation, harvesting and transporting operations at the sugar cane farm. Also appropriate earth-moving and earthwork equipment for road, irrigation and drainage structural works were also selected.