Evaluation of animal-drawn ploughs in Indonesia
1992
Sumanto(Research Institute for Animal Production, Bogor (Indonesia))
In Indonesia (in Java and in part outside Java), the animal-drawn plough is still popular, mainly for crop cultivation in hilly and narrow or transmigration areas. Research into the plough in this country is limited, therefore its potential and problems are not yet fully known. Surveys were conducted in many areas, such as in West Java, East Java, South Sumatra and Kupang-NTT to identify and evaluate ploughs, and trials were carried out in specific areas to modify them for more efficient use. Results showed that the forms and dimensions of ploughs vary between locations. The particular characteristics of ploughs vary according to the local farmer's experience. Other observations were that the working animal capacity also varies due to many factors, such as the type or weight of animal, the land condition and the type of plough. Generally, farmers use a pair of animals for ploughing except in a part of West Java. But even there the plough is still the same type. Buffalo appear to be more content working in wet or muddy land (eg West Java) and cattle are more suitable working in dry land (eg East Java and South Sumatra/transmigration areas). A single animal for ploughing is more efficient than a pair of animals. It is not suggested that ploughs need to be standardised for efficiency in this country, but that they need to be selected taking account of regional conditions.
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