Machinery for Corn Cultivation

News source: Indonesian Cereals Research Institute
For further information, contact Abidin, B. or Y. Sinuseng.
E-mail: balitjas@era.net.id, crifc3@indo.net.id, 2003-01-01

Lack of Preharvest Equipment for Corn Cultivation

FARMERS involved in corn cultivation usually do not have access to preharvest equipment such as tiller, planter, weeder-ridger, and fertilizer applicator. Generally, they only use the hand tractor for land preparation, while planting and weeding or ridging are performed manually. Therefore, their work and field capacity remain very low.

Planters, Weeders and Ridgers for Small-Scale Corn Producers

To support corn cultivation, several preharvest machinery equipment, such as planter (pulled-push type model RIP-2R-M1 and stick type model M1VL) and weeder-ridger (model IRRI-M5), were developed by the Indonesian Cereals Research Institute (ICRI) and their application evaluated at the farmer level. The result showed that all machine prototypes can be assembled locally since the components and materials used are available at small industries within the vicinity of the farmers' village.

Price Low Enough for Farmers' Groups

As a result, the price of the machines has become relatively cheap and the farmer or farmers' groups can now afford to buy them. The local industries can also play an important role in developing the machines. To empower the local industries, the prototypes and their design figures should be provided.

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