Mechanization alternatives for family agriculture
In general, the scarce mechanization of the crop increases the number of wages used. In Peru, to produce one hectare of corn in a non-mechanized form, between 80 and 120 days are required, without considering the time for harvesting and shelling. In western El Salvador, 53 daily wages are needed; while in the Alta Verapaz area of Guatemala, at least 61 days of manual labor. The operations with lower productivity are the preparation of the land and the sowing with manual tools, which consume more than 80% of the total work time. The low productivity of the labor force results in a very high cost that reaches up to 65% of the total cost of corn production (Huamanchumo de la Cuba, 2013). To all this the burning of stubble or overgrazing is added.
Soil preparation and planting
Pre-Hispanic tools
The hand tools of the pre-Inca period such as allachu , chira , huarmicpananan , jallmana , raucana and taruca allowed to practice direct seeding without soil removal and with the maintenance of a protective vegetal cover of the soil. The farmers avoided erosion and made use of the gravity irrigation system, driving the water through special channels.
From arable farming to a conservation agriculture
In recent decades, farmers have expressed concern about soil erosion, labor power and input costs caused by farming. Some have tried to reduce the intensity of soil preparation but have often faced problems such as low germination, low productivity and high weed infestation. There are many experiences and lessons learned from soil projects in Latin America that have changed the focus of soil restoration, from the conservation and replenishment of plant nutrients to the management of "green waters" (water in the soil and the plant) and living soils (nutrients, water, organic matter and air), with the application of three principles: a) protect the soil with permanent coverage, b) do not remove the soil and c) crop rotations to keep the soil alive. These three principles, applied in the so-called "conservation agriculture (CA)", go together and can be applied to the most common production systems such as the production of basic grains (corn, beans, rice), vegetables, fruit trees, plantations of coffee and cocoa, livestock and others.
Conservation agriculture is an alternative that, in addition to protecting the soil, rationing the use of water, saves costs, time, fuel and labor; improves income and is friendly to the environment, so it is advisable to use it in the context of population growth and climate change in the world. Adopting this sustainable management system can generate additional income: payment for environmental services if the agricultural activity is located in water recharge zones.
At present, there is a wide variety of types and models of equipment for family farming with the conservation agriculture approach.
Equipment for coverage management
The management of cover crops or stubble on small farms with conservation agriculture can be mechanical, with roll-knife or disc harrow. The roll-knife is an alternative for the mechanical management of vegetation and stubble crops whose function is to crush and partially or completely cut the plant material, with the advantage of providing a low rate of decomposition of the same. It is a simple construction equipment that includes a wooden or metal cylinder with transversely arranged knives and a structure for support, traction and protection. During the operation, the cutting knives tamp and cut the cover (green fertilizers or harvest residues), leaving it on the surface of the soil. The quality of operation of the scrollknife depends on its design, of the condition of the soil and the vegetation cover. It is produced commercially by several Brazilian industries, in different models, for animal or tractor tractors and with variable working width between one and five meters. It is important to indicate that the work with roll-knife of animal draft or tractor is not recommended for slopes above 20%. In addition, to avoid accidents, it is necessary to train operators and train animals.
Seeders
Manuals
In areas where animal traction can not be used because the slope prevents it or there is a large amount of rocks, many Andean communities use the manual taclla or chaquitaclla seeder (figure 2) to perform soil preparation and planting. The taclla or chaquitaclla is a long stick with a somewhat curved blade (taclla) at the lower end that before the conquest was hard wood or stone and is currently made of steel, usually obtained from spring strips of truck. Before the terminal, this tool has a transversal stick in which the farmer supports a foot to sink the taclla into the ground and thus achieve an opening to place the seed.
In the humid zones the manual seeding is carried out with a pointed stick (photo 3) that also receives the names of tacarpo (Peru), aulet (Guatemala) or chuzo (in several Central American countries). To plant one hectare, 25 men / day or 25 man-days are required. In irrigated areas after tillage with a tractor and making the furrows 90 cm away, the corn is sown with a shovel in holes 30 cm away, leaving three seeds per hole