An assessment of rice cultivation mechanization in Northern Iran (Langarud County in Guilan Province)

The present study reviewed the status of mechanized power and self-propelled paddy cultivation machinery in Langarud County in the province of Guilan in northern Iran. The data was collected in 2012 by questionnaire from paddy farmers and mechanization corporations in five rural districts (Chaf, Divshal, Gelsefid, Komleh, and Otaqvar). The following mechanization indices were calculated for each rural district and the entire region: unit area power, mechanization level, area per tractor, area per machine, and mechanization requirement. The results showed that the mean unit area power was 1.37 hp ha-1. There was considerable difference between mechanization indices in the rural districts. The regional mechanization requirement for land preparation was 0, for transplanting was 81.50%, for weeding was 94.97%, and for harvesting was 43.20%. The area per four-wheeled tractor was 176.42 ha, and cultivated area per machine for transplanting was 416.36, for weeding was 2081.80, and for combine harvesting was 88.21 ha. This indicates that there is insufficient mechanization for weeding followed by transplanting and that there is an urgent need to increase the available machinery for these operations in the paddy fields of Langarud County