TITLE:
Development of an Integrated Tool for Small-Scale Maize Farming in Uganda
AUTHORS:
Louis J. M. Obura, Robert K. Kambugu, Nicholas Kiggundu, Hussein K. Balimunsi, Samuel Kyamanywa
KEYWORDS:
Integrated Tool, Plough, Cultivator, Mechanization, Smallholder Maize Farming
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
28,
2020
ABSTRACT: About 62% of the maize produced in developing countries is cultivated manually owing to limited access to appropriate technology. Available technologies perform a single operation, necessitating farmers to buy multiple implements, which is expensive. In this study, an ox-drawn tool integrating a plough, planter and cultivator for small-scale maize farming was developed and its performance evaluated. Planting and cultivating units were designed and fabricated for assembly onto an existing standard ox-plough beam. The integrated tool was tested in the field to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of cultivation and planting of maize. Results showed that the planting unit had an average seed rate of 35.4 kg/ha with a seed damage of 4% and an effective field capacity of 0.15 ha/h at a field efficiency of 87.3%. The cultivating unit had an effective field capacity of 0.1 ha/h and a weeding efficiency of 86%. The efficiency, effectiveness and reliability for field operations are superior to manual operations currently used by farmers and are comparable to single-unit prototypes developed in other countries. This demonstrates the technical feasibility of integrating planting and cultivation units onto an existing mould board plough instead of buying multiple tools.