Crop-Machinery Management System For Farm Cost Analysis

Abstract Assessment of the total costs of agricultural farm is important to decide for selection of optimum combination of machinery crops and farming system that can maximize profit. The decision on optimum combination of these factors by customary way is quite difficult due to their natural complexity. A computer system was develop in Excel-Visual basic software for farm management decision making and to estimate machinery and the whole farm costs and net return from crops grown under different farming systems. The system deals with four crops and three farming systems by using tractor and six machines. The input data includes crops type operations machine and inputs cost. The system was verified validated analyzed and its accuracy was approved. The system outputs change with various input parameters like farm size machines used and crops combination. Application of the system showed that annual working hours size and age of machines affect the fixed and total operation costs. The least operation cost was obtained by conventional farming system followed by zero tillage and heavy machinery system. Different crops varied in their costs when grown alone or in combinations in different farming systems. The lowest and highest net returns were obtained by growing sorghum alone with heavy machinery farming system and by growing the four crops in Zero-Tillage farming system. The system can be used as pre-season planning and management decision tool.