The Study of the Way to Accomplish the Paddy Field Mechanization of Hu-Nan Province P.R.C.

After thirty years exploration and practice, the author has found the way to accomplish the paddy field mechanization in Hu-nan Province. The way is to use the mini-tillage machine of paddy field and walking tractor as the main powers and provide the rice seedling raising, tillage, transplanting, irrigation and drainage , crop protection, cutting , threshing and transportation machines to form a complete set to accomplish most of the operations in the paddy field. The mini-tillage machine of paddy field is used as the power to drive the tillage , transplanting , cutting and heaping , water pump , crop protection and threshing machines .The walking tractor is mainly used as the power for transportation .These two powers are so coordinately and supplementary with each other together with all the above operation machines to make a complete set .Each set can complete 120 mu (8 ha) operations of paddy field in one rice growing season . The total cost of this complete set is RMB 15, 000-20, 000 yuan . By the experiments it showed that each set could increase the rice yield about 5, 000 kg and increase the farmers income about 5, 000 yuan both for 120 mu.The features of this set are as follows: (1) As the set consists of mechanized and semimechanized machines, so it is still in the preliminary stage. (2) It is feasible on the base of farmers present economy situation, so it is welcomed by the farmers . Surely , there is much work still remained for agricultural engineers to develop.