Considerations for mechanisation in peat drainage design
1993
Ooi, Ho Seng | Ayob Katimon
A suitable drainage system is necessary for jungle clearing and land development of virgin peatland. To mechanise these operations, considerations for mechanisation must be incorporated into drainage design. Controlled drainage is required not only to exploit the peat soil for agricultural production but also to facilitate the mechanisation of crop production as well as prolong the productivity of this depleting resource. Studies on the effect of drainage design on the mechanical properties of peat soil relating to floatation and trafficability of machinery were carried out at MARDI peat research stations in Jalan Kebun and Pontian and some of the more significant results obtained are presented and discussed. The load bearing capacity of the soil decreases as the soil moisture content is increased. The effect of rain is the lowering of the load bearing capacity of the soil until the water is drained off. Special precaution must be taken when using any machinery very near to a field drain e.g. when using the hydraulic excavator for drain maintenance work. Technical problems are faced in the design of the drainage system at the farm level for crop mechanization on peat.
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