A web-based decision support system to select proper machinery size and tractor power

Abstract

One of the most important key factors for efficient and profitable agricultural production is agricultural mechanization. Since agricultural mechanization system expenses are nearly 30% of an agricultural enterprise investment, the mechanization system should be planned very carefully. Since internet technologies have spread into all areas, including agriculture, a web-based decision support system (DSS) was developed to plan an agricultural machinery system to be used in Turkey's farm enterprises. The developed DSS was written in PHP and the databases were created using the MySQL database administration system. Several tables to select proper machine size and tractor power, including tractor test report data, technical data of the machines produced in Turkey, field work days for Turkey's climatic conditions, and typical working speed and efficiencies of the machines, were included in the databases. For the areas over 10 ha surveys were done for collecting data according to main production and machinery commonly used. Average daily working time data were also estimated. By conducting simulations using the developed DSS based on the survey data, for the machines that are used for producing the most common products in the Adana region, machinery fleets were created and tractor power sizes were selected. According to the results, for farms smaller than 40 ha, one tractor of less than 157 kW would be sufficient, and for the areas that are over 40 ha, two or three tractors would be sufficient to complete the agricultural activities in an effective amount of time.

Optimization of Selection of the Machinery Park in Sustainable Agriculture

“…Decision processes in management of agricultural machines, except for decisions concerning current exploitation of machines include a decision on selection and collection of sets of machines of farms [24]. In these cases, a key aspect is a need to undertake best decisions to increase production, raising its quality and maintaining suitable environmental conditions.…”

SIMULATION OF DISTANCE BETWEEN FIELD AND REPLENISHMENT PUMP IN MECHANIZED SPRAYING OF SUGARCANE (Saccharum spp.)

“…For Araldi et al (2013); Banchi et al (2008a); Barbosa et al (2015); Cervi et al (2015); Jokiniemi et al (2012); Oduma et al (2015); Linhares et al (2012); Ma et al (2015); Nascimento et al (2016); Neres et al 2012; Rivera et al (2012); Simões et al (2011) and Yousif et al (2013), this is the ratio between effectively used time and total time for equipment operation. The operational time Santos et al (2015a); Shamshiri & Ismail (2013) and Zhou et al (2015) and Çanakci et al (2011); Civelek & Say (2016); Santos et al (2015b); Santos et al (2014a) and Zaied et al (2014) have a participation in the equipment operational performance, which has a direct influence on the economic performance.…”