Level of Agricultural Mechanization in Oriental Mindoro, Laguna and Quezon, Philippines Using the Modified Agricultural Mechanization Index for Lowland Rice

Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Rossana Marie Amongo; Mark Keylord Onal; Maria Victoria Larona; Arthur Fajardo; Clarissa Ileana Ilao; Gherlee Nelle Lalap; Adrian Borja; Charleen Grace Deniega; Johanan Sumague

doi:10.48196/014.01.2018.05

Philippine Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Rossana Marie Amongo University of the Philippines Los Banos
Mark Keylord Onal University of the Philippines Los Banos
Maria Victoria Larona University of the Philippines Los Banos
Arthur Fajardo University of the Philippines Los Banos
Clarissa Ileana Ilao University of the Philippines Los Banos
Gherlee Nelle Lalap University of the Philippines Los Banos
Adrian Borja University of the Philippines Los Banos
Charleen Grace Deniega University of the Philippines Los Banos
Johanan Sumague University of the Philippines Los Banos

DOI: https://doi.org/10.48196/014.01.2018.05

Keywords: agricultural mechanization, agricultural mechanization index, level of mechanization, MAMIrice

Abstract

The Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law of 2013 mandated the government to increase its support and investment for the distribution of agricultural mechanization technologies (AMTs) throughout the country in support of its food security and sufficiency programs. For an equitable distribution of AMTs, a standard protocol to determine the current level of mechanization expressed in terms of agricultural mechanization index was established, through the formulation of the Modified Agricultural Mechanization Index (MAMI). MAMIrice was established based on soil type, windows for each operation, operational hours per day, source of power for each operation, actual utilization of power source, the chemicals applied, crop care practices, crop water requirement, efficiency for each operation, rice variety, and yield per cropping season. MAMIrice was applied in determining the level of mechanization per farming operations in Oriental Mindoro, Laguna and Quezon provinces. Results showed that the level of mechanization in Oriental Mindoro were 1.013 hp/ha for operations mostly done by man-animal system, 3.029 hp/ha for operations involving man-machine system using plowing-harrowing and reaping-threshing, and 1.780 hp/ha for man-machine system that uses rototilling and rice combine harvesting. For Laguna, the level of mechanization was 0.745 hp/ha, 1.836 hp/ha and 1.232 hp/ha for mananimal system, man-machine system using plowing-harrowing and reaping-threshing, and manmachine system using rototilling and combine harvesting. For Quezon, the level of mechanization for man-animal system using plowing-harrowing and reaping-threshing was 2.646 hp/ha, 4.565 hp/ha for man-machine system, and 2.505 hp/ha for man-machine system using rototilling and combine harvesting. The values obtained for the three provinces were still way below the computed theoretical agricultural mechanization index, 5.071 hp/ha, that would yield at least 6 ton/ha. A computed agricultural mechanization index can be considered ideal if the target yield of 6 tons/ha is attained and utilization of the machines is efficient and not underutilized.