Mecanização no cultivo de arroz irrigado em assentamentos de reforma agrária do núcleo operacional de São Gabriel

Abstract

This work aimed to identify the degree of use and demands related to agricultural mechanization in irrigated rice crops of St. Gabriel agrarian reform settlements. The results were obtained by consulting the database of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform - Regional Superintendency of Rio Grande do Sul and by means of interviews with settled farmer families which were representatives of irrigated rice crop projects. Different types of management and farming systems were identified as agroecological management with pre-germinated system; agroecological management with conventional system; non-agroecological management with conventional system; and non-agroecological management with minimum cultivation. For each type of management, information was collected taking into account the characteristics of the families, the used machinery and equipment, and economical aspects and demands for agricultural mechanization. The determination of the technically planned mechanization index was obtained by a survey of operations to be implemented; determination of planting dates; estimated operatinal speed; and estimated number of mechanized sets. It was observed in all types of irrigated rice management production that mechanization was present in all activities but that agricultural machinery and equipment had high usage time. On average, tractors had 25.3 years of use and the harvesters had 28.9 years of use. It was also observed that the level of mechanization used by farmers is 163% higher than that of technically planned level of mechanization. As for the demands related to mechanization, farmers point to the necessity for improvements of agricultural tractors, auto propelled harvesters of smaller sizes and projects of some specific implements.