Conservation Agriculture mechanization a major technique in reducing machinery input cost in crop production.

1. Rukuni C, Ndidzano K, Uzande J.
Institute of Agricultural Engineering.P. O. Box BW 330 Borrowdale,
Harare, Zimbabwe.

2.  Introduction
 Materials and methods
 Results and Discussion
 Conclusion

3.  There is increased demand for food in Zimbabwe to meet the ever
increasing population.
 This has increased pressure on government , researchers and
farmers to ensure that strategies for producing adequate food are in
place.
 Government on its part, has come up with an agricultural policy with
emphasis on increasing productivity and intensifying production as
the land is not expanding.
 Farmers at the same time, are faced with viability issues for them to
continue farming as the cost of production is ever increasing.
 Economically, farmers call for higher producer prices to address
the issue of viability.

4.  Technically, availing sustainable and viable technologies will
address the issue.
 In-addition, current crop establishment techniques widely used in
Zimbabwe by farmers who rely on motorised power, require a lot of
energy emitting a lot carbon dioxide which accelerate climate
change.
 Eliminating some tillage techniques will greatly reduce production
costs.
 This study was aimed at producing evidence to stimulate CA
adoption and government policy which promotes CA mechanisation.

5.  High agricultural production costs related to tractor machinery
make farming not viable.
 Carbon dioxide emission from use of diesel fuel during agricultural
production accelerate climate change.

6. Treatments
 Conventional tillage –ripping, ploughing, discing and planting.
 Reduced- ripping, discing and planting.
 Direct seeding-planting.
Field data recording.
Yield assessments.
Tractors and implements.
A comparative partial budget analysis focusing on machinery input
on maize and soya-bean was done.

7.  Table1. Work rates and fuel consumption

System
Tillage
Technique
Work Rate
(ha/hr)
Hours per
hectare
Fuel
Consumption
(L/ha)
Conventional Ripping 0.38 2.6 15
Ploughing 0.38 2.6 30
discing 1 1 20
Planting 1.5 0.7 8
Total 6.9 73
Reduced Tillage Ripping 0.38 2.6 15
Discing 1 1 20
Planting 1.5 0.7 8
Total 4.3 43
Conservation
Agriculture (CA) Direct Seeding 1.5 0.7 8

8.  Table 2 Mechanisation Production costs based on fuel
Crop Tillage system Production cost
$/ton(fuel)
Yield ton/ha
Maize Conventional 20.4 5.0
reduced 14.9 4.5
Direct Seeding 3.5 4
Soya bean Conventional 40.9 2.5
reduced 26.9 2.5
Direct Seeding 7 2.0

9.  Fig 1. Production Costs $/ton
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Conventional
reduced
DirectSeeding
Conventional
reduced
DirectSeeding
Maize Soya bean
Production cost
$/ton(fuel)
Yield ton/ha

10.  Fuel consumption with conventional systems is very high followed by
reduced tillage and lastly by direct seeding.
 These results reveal that energy requirements are lowest with CA
resulting in less carbon dioxide emission.
 The fuel cost of producing a tone of maize at a yield of 5ton/ha is
$20.4 under conventional system and is at $7 at a yield of $4.5/ton
under CA.
 Therefore, inline with government policy of increasing productivity,
turning to CA will reduce machinery input cost in agricultural
production increasing viability.

11.  High yielding crops like maize have lower production cost/ton on
fuel compared to lower yielding crops like soya bean.
 Tillage and energy requirements for establishing cereals and
legumes are are the same .

12.  The study reveals that adopting CA mechamisation for crop
establishment. reduces fuel energy used compared to conventional
and reduced tillage systems.
 This reduces carbon dioxide emission. Should CA adopters receive
carbon credits?

 CA reduces mechanisation input costs in agricultural production.
 Cost of production is reduced with high productivity.
 This CA machinery input model can serve as an incentive for farmers
to adopt CA because there are financial gains.
 The traditional call for increase producer prices should be
substituted with reduce production costs by turning to CA.