Extent of Mechanisation on Paddycultivation in Kerala

ABSTRACT Farm mechanization is widely adopted in the field of paddy cultivation. Farmers are adopting mechanization, mainly for the purpose of land preparation, transplanting and harvesting. Among these operations, mechanized transplanting service is provided by Agro Machinery Service Centres (AMSCs) and other mechanized services, that are available from private agencies. The extent of mechanization in paddy cultivation is studied, with the help of a mechanization index. The study found that, tractors and harvesters are the frequently used farm implements, by the farmers. The waterlogged nature of land held by some farmers, preventing them from the adoption of mechanized transplanting in their fields. The computation of mechanization index revealed that, forty percent of paddy cultivation is mechanized and sixty percent is labour oriented. Hence, it could be conclude that, higher the mechanization lower will be the dependence on laboures