How Many Tractor Hours For Preparing Rice Paddy?

[JungleBiker]

Hi All,

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but when I tried to search this forum lots of hits turned up but the first few I checked didn't give the answer so I gave up.

I would like to know how much tractor time (hours) is takes to prepare paddy land (for rice planting) including initial ploughing and whatever is done after that, such as rotovating and leveling, etc?? (I'm not sure what are the usual operations?). If possible, please assume a tractor of about 60hp, or if not, please state tractor hp or model.

The reason I am asking is because I have some info on a government implemented development project in Laos funded by the World Bank and it seems to me like they are spending more far more money than is really needed on buying (60hp) tractors to do what appears to be very little tractor work. I think the project is a scam so I would like some real world numbers to back up my suspicions.

Many thanks.

JB.

[Nickthegreek]

Hi All,

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but when I tried to search this forum lots of hits turned up but the first few I checked didn't give the answer so I gave up.

I would like to know how much tractor time (hours) is takes to prepare paddy land (for rice planting) including initial ploughing and whatever is done after that, such as rotovating and leveling, etc?? (I'm not sure what are the usual operations?). If possible, please assume a tractor of about 60hp, or if not, please state tractor hp or model.

The reason I am asking is because I have some info on a government implemented development project in Laos funded by the World Bank and it seems to me like they are spending more far more money than is really needed on buying (60hp) tractors to do what appears to be very little tractor work. I think the project is a scam so I would like some real world numbers to back up my suspicions.

Many thanks.

JB.

JB,

It will all depend,Its late now and I am trying to remember how long it took me to do 50 rai last year.

If you PM me,it will jog my memory tomorrow and I will see if I can help.

Nick

[Maizefarmer]

Condition of the land and hardness of the soil to start with will have a big impact on timeframe - as will, as you noted, the size of the tractor - because that determines the size of the plough it can pull.

60hp with a 3 or 4 x 60cm diameter disc with 30cm - 40cm disc spacing (plough width say - 1,2 - 1,5m) ..... then how deep are the discs (max 20cm or so) because that determines tractor gear & speed, and then how long is the field because that determines how much time is spent doing headland turn arounds ... and on and on one can go .....

I'd guess around 1hr to an 1hr30min per rai on medium soil (on a 40m x 40m field) - but thats just guess (trying to visualise it in my mind). The cross-cut ( i.e. the 2nd ploughing at 90degrees - if you cross cut) will be much quicker as the soil will be loose.

.... all a complete guess on my part.

[Gary A]

In our area of Loei province, rice paddies are seldom much larger than one rai. It takes too much time for maneuvering using a four wheel tractor. The final work is done when the paddy is flooded, that means, depending on the land itself, that a four wheel tractor is very likely to get stuck in the mud. With the small scale farms that average about ten rai per family, the mechanical buffalo is the most practical tractor. I suppose if the paddy had some dikes removed and the paddies were enlarged, a four wheel tractor could be used to some advantage. Since the farmers here have no idea what a transit is or what a laser grader is, it will continue to be trial and error to try to make the paddy level.

[JungleBiker]

In our area of Loei province, rice paddies are seldom much larger than one rai. It takes too much time for maneuvering using a four wheel tractor. The final work is done when the paddy is flooded, that means, depending on the land itself, that a four wheel tractor is very likely to get stuck in the mud. With the small scale farms that average about ten rai per family, the mechanical buffalo is the most practical tractor. I suppose if the paddy had some dikes removed and the paddies were enlarged, a four wheel tractor could be used to some advantage. Since the farmers here have no idea what a transit is or what a laser grader is, it will continue to be trial and error to try to make the paddy level.

Hi Gary,

Around my home in Khon Kaen they used to use mechanical buffalo, but now they all use 4WD Kubotas - they are small enough to manoeuvre around most paddies. I am not sure if they plough the land first or not, but I think at some stage they use a rotovator and perhaps that helps drive them forward through the mud? (I'm not sure which way they rotate but guess its the same way as the wheels?)

Anyhow, I will be back in Khon Kaen next week, so then I'll have a chance to find out the tractor work from the local rice growers.

Thanks everyone.

JB.

[JungleBiker]

Condition of the land and hardness of the soil to start with will have a big impact on timeframe - as will, as you noted, the size of the tractor - because that determines the size of the plough it can pull.

60hp with a 3 or 4 x 60cm diameter disc with 30cm - 40cm disc spacing (plough width say - 1,2 - 1,5m) ..... then how deep are the discs (max 20cm or so) because that determines tractor gear & speed, and then how long is the field because that determines how much time is spent doing headland turn arounds ... and on and on one can go .....

I'd guess around 1hr to an 1hr30min per rai on medium soil (on a 40m x 40m field) - but thats just guess (trying to visualise it in my mind). The cross-cut ( i.e. the 2nd ploughing at 90degrees - if you cross cut) will be much quicker as the soil will be loose.

.... all a complete guess on my part.

Hi MF,

Thanks for your complete guess... now I can see why you call yourself maizefarmer and not ricefarmer! Just kidding!

JB.

[Gary A]

In our area of Loei province, rice paddies are seldom much larger than one rai. It takes too much time for maneuvering using a four wheel tractor. The final work is done when the paddy is flooded, that means, depending on the land itself, that a four wheel tractor is very likely to get stuck in the mud. With the small scale farms that average about ten rai per family, the mechanical buffalo is the most practical tractor. I suppose if the paddy had some dikes removed and the paddies were enlarged, a four wheel tractor could be used to some advantage. Since the farmers here have no idea what a transit is or what a laser grader is, it will continue to be trial and error to try to make the paddy level.

Hi Gary,

Around my home in Khon Kaen they used to use mechanical buffalo, but now they all use 4WD Kubotas - they are small enough to manoeuvre around most paddies. I am not sure if they plough the land first or not, but I think at some stage they use a rotovator and perhaps that helps drive them forward through the mud? (I'm not sure which way they rotate but guess its the same way as the wheels?)

Anyhow, I will be back in Khon Kaen next week, so then I'll have a chance to find out the tractor work from the local rice growers.

Thanks everyone.

JB.

I bought a 30 HP Yanmar four wheel drive tractor a couple of years ago. My wife did her best to talk me out of it but I wanted a nice toy to play with. It has a dozer blade, rotary tiller and a disc plow.

The rotary tiller tines do turn in the same direction as the tractor wheels. That helps some in pushing the tractor through the mud. I also bought steel paddy wheels that bolt onto the regular wheels. It works OK in some of the paddies but sinks far too deep in others.

My wife bought an 11 HP Kubota two wheel tractor a couple of weeks ago. We needed it to pump water anyways and she thinks it will work better than the Yanmar in flooded paddies. I'll use the Yanmar to plow down the rice stubble, then it is up to her, her nephews and the iron buffalo.

[slapout]

Junglebiker, as mentioned land size will be determining factor, (turns, working corners, etc) Implement size, tractor size, etc. In the real world we would figure a 16 foot swath 1/2 mile long was equal to 1 acre+_. Most tractor field/working speed is around 4 mph, again +_. Using a disk with a tractor rated for the disk size, you can do some rough estimates from these numbers.

[JungleBiker]

Junglebiker, as mentioned land size will be determining factor, (turns, working corners, etc) Implement size, tractor size, etc. In the real world we would figure a 16 foot swath 1/2 mile long was equal to 1 acre+_. Most tractor field/working speed is around 4 mph, again +_. Using a disk with a tractor rated for the disk size, you can do some rough estimates from these numbers.

Thanks Slapout. (Sorry I didn't see your reply last month).