I.

INTRODUCTION

Land preparation such as tillage, harrowing, and tillage are essential steps in
the cultivation of crops, as they involve preparing the soil, which enhances soil
conditions for the successful establishment of young offshoots or seeds and to
provide optimal growing conditions for plants. Two common methods for land
preparation are using a walking tractor or hoe.

Traditional cultivation of land using a hoe promotes ventilation of the soil for
root growth. A hoe is a versatile agricultural hand tool used to dig narrow furrows,
shape soil, and remove weeds. Although it is a labor-intensive, physically
demanding, and time-consuming practice, it can be very effective on tiny pieces of
land. 

Through mechanization, walking-type hand tractors were introduced to

increase the output in land preparation. It is intended for use in small-scale farming.
A hand tractor is made to be controlled by a person walking behind it and is often
smaller than a traditional tractor. Due to their great degree of maneuverability and
ability to operate in small spaces, walking type tractors are frequently employed for
tillage and cultivation activities. Different kinds of land preparation implement, such
as a disc plow, harrow, and leveler, can be attached to these machines as long as
they are fitted to the hitch of the hand tractor. A disc plow is an implement with round,
concave disks of hardened steel, sharpened, and sometimes serrated on the edge.

The size of the land, the kind of soil, the crops being cultivated, and the
resources available will all influence which of these two types of land preparation is
used. In order to ensure that water and nutrients are dispersed uniformly, it is
important to ensure that the soil is loose and aerated, free of weeds and other
undesirable vegetation, and adequately leveled. The creation of optimal growing
conditions for crops is the ultimate goal of land preparation, and the approach used
will depend on the particular requirements and objectives of the farmer or agricultural
organization. 

II. OBJECTIVES

After performing this exercise, the student should be able to;

1. Operate a walking-type tractor

2. Calculate the field capacity and efficiency of the walking-type tractor
 ABEN 3423 – AB MACHINERY AND MECHANIZATION

III.  PROCEDURE

Part I

1. Create a plot with a 5 m x 3 m dimension. Mark each corner with a stake.

2. Measure the width of cut of the hoe and cultivate the area assigned to your group.
3. Determine your speed by recording the time it takes for you to finish a single pass.
4. Record the time it takes to finish cultivating the area assigned to your group. Also,
record your unproductive time (rest, etc.)

Part II. 

5. Create a plot with 20 m x 5 m dimension. Mark each corner with a stake.

6. Measure the width of cut of the disc plow attached to the walking-type hand tractor.
7. Determine the hand tractor speed by recording the time to complete a single pass. 
8. Cultivate the area assigned to your group using the walking-type hand tractor with
attachment.
9. Record the time it takes to cultivate the whole area. Also record the unproductive
time during the operation (Turning, refueling, etc.).
10. Determine the field capacity and efficiency of the hoe and hand tractor with the
implement using the equation provided in the method of test for walking-type hand
tractor.
11. Present your output next meeting and submit a hard copy of your report.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

IV. CONCLUSION

Land preparation is necessary to prepare the rice field for planting. A properly
prepared field prevents weed growth, regenerates plant nutrients, and offers both an
appropriate soil surface for direct seeding as well as a soft soil mass for transplantation.
In this laboratory exercise, a 3m x 5m and 5m x 20m land were prepared for tillage
using a hoe as a traditional method and a hand tractor as a mechanized one. With the hoe, it
took 10.01 minutes to finish tilling the 3x5-meter plot of land, including unproductive time.
These produced results of 35.65 m^2 / hr., 56.16 m^2/ hr., and 157% for its theoretical field

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 ABEN 3423 – AB MACHINERY AND MECHANIZATION

capacity, effective field capacity, and field efficiency, respectively. The 20x3-meter area of
land that was plowed using a hand tractor took 7.45 minutes to complete tilling. The
theoretical field capacity, effective field capacity, and field efficiency for a hand tractor were
1350 m^2 / hr, 1026 m^2/ hr, and 76%, respectively.  
Based on the results, it is concluded that using a hand tractor is unquestionably more
efficient than using a hoe. In addition to being efficient, it is also faster to use than a hoe.
Due to lack of experience, using a hand tractor is more difficult to the group than using a
hoe. However, using the hoe makes the group become more exhausted. Moreover, if the
operators were more experienced on using the hand tractor and there is no switching of
operators then, tilling will more likely finish sooner than what is shown in the results.

V. RECOMMENDATIONS
    Based on the results gathered, the following suggestions are recommended:
1. In plowing using a hoe, the angle of plowing and force must be consistent.
2. In testing the Effective Field Capacity (EFC) of walking-type tractors, the
operator must be skilled.
3. The hoe is good for a small size of land while the hand tractor is for medium
to large areas.

VI. REFERENCES

 Chapter 9 - Tools and implements. (n.d.). www.fao.org.

https://www.fao.org/3/x5672e/x5672e0a.htm

 CHAPTER VI: LAND PREPARATION, PLANTING OPERATION AND

FERTILIZATION REQUIREMENTS. (n.d.). www.fao.org.
https://www.fao.org/3/y4360e/y4360e0a.htm

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 ABEN 3423 – AB MACHINERY AND MECHANIZATION

 disk plow | farm machine | Britannica. (n.d.). Www.britannica.com.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/disk-plow

 IRRI. (n.d.). Land preparation - IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank.

www.knowledgebank.irri.org. http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-
production/pre-planting/land-preparation

 Why today’s farmers need to mechanize. (n.d.). Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from
https://www.philmech.gov.ph/?
page=story_full_view&action=story_fullview&recordID=202282484053AMa6f3cd&rec
ordCategory=RCEF#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIt%20can%20provide%20ease%20in

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