Rukuni C, Ndidzano K, Uzande J.

Institute of Agricultural Engineering.P. O. Box BW 330 Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Introduction

Materials and methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Fig 1. Production Costs $/ton

05

1015202530354045

Conventi

onal

reduced

Dir

ect

Seedin

g

Conventi

onal

reduced

Dir

ect

Seedin

g

Maize Soya bean

Production cost

$/ton(fuel)

Yield ton/ha

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.

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 .

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.