Technological and Operational Evaluation of Agricultural Sets in Mechanized Labors in Tobacco Tillage

Abstract

In this investigation, the technological and exploitation indexes of the Deutz Fahr Agrofarm 420-T Ecoline agricultural tractor sets and the implements (The Checchi Magli Unitrium transplanter, a three-body cultivator subsoiler and the Jacto Coral B12 sprinkler) were determined in Tabaganesha 2 tobacco farm, Los Rios Province, Valencia City, Ecuador. The methodology was based on the chronometric observation of the times in the work of transplantation, subsoiling and fumigation of tobacco. The following technological and exploitation indices were determined: times of clean work, of assistant work and of turning work, exploitation coefficients, technical security, use of productive time and others. For the development of the methodology the NC 34-37: 2003 standards were used; also tractor and implement testing and evaluation reports as well as technical documents and scientific articles. The results of the tractor indexes with the three evaluated implements showed the following values reached in the coefficients of use of productive time (K04): The tractor-transplanter set obtained 0.77, the tractor-subsoiler set reached 0, 84 and the tractor-sprinkler set reached 0.47. The maximum value of 1.00 was obtained in the technological safety coefficients (K41) and technical safety coefficients (K42) for all the evaluated sets, because none of the sets suffered any damage during the evaluation period.