TECHNOLOGY/PRODUCT:

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

• The planting of food crops on raised beds would reduce the risk of crop failure due to sudden flooding and contribute to an increase in food production and a reduction in food imports.
• Tractors with standard rotary tillers are currently being used in the contract land cultivation. They can be modified to do the bedforming work.
• Mechanisation of bedforming (i.e. land cultivation and bedmaking at the same time) would reduce the total time taken. Farmers no longer need to arrange for a suitable day for the hired workers to do the
• The ridger bodies and the attachment brackets can be locally made.

DESCRIPTION

General description

• The Bedformer prototype was designed and developed by MARDI for making raised beds for crop production. It is consist of 2 ridger bodies that are attached behind the standard rotary tiller implement (with trailing board modified to half length) and 2 detachable subsoilers thay are attached at the front.

Technical Specifications

Specifications of rotary tiller:

• Working width of 150 cm
• Working depth of 20 cm
• Rotor speeds: 220 RPM
• High speed blades
• Half length trailing board

  Technical specifications of ridger:

• Two rear mounted ridger bodies
• Working depth adjustable down to 25 cm
• Ridger spacing adjustable from 60 to 160 cm
• Ridger points are replaceable

  Subsoilers

• Can be detached if not needed
• Two vertical tines mounted at the front
• Working depth adjustable from 0 to 35 cm
• Tine spacing adjustable from 60-120 cm
• Replaceable subsoiler points

Sketch/photograph

• Photograph

Published papers

• Ooi, H.S. (1997) Adaptation and development of a bedformer prototype MARDI Report No.190
• Ooi, H.S. (1980). Studies on the development of the Rotavator cum ridger. MARDI Res. Bull. 8(2) : 209-222
• Ooi, H.S. (1983). The development of a tractor mounted tobacco bedformer. MARDI Report No. 82
• Mat Daham, M.D. (1985). Penggunaan jentera-jentera untuk mekanisasi tanaman tembakau. Bull. Tek. Tembakau Jil 1(1)

Researcher(s):

• OOI HoSeng
• Mohd-Daham, M.D.

PERFORMANCE

• Beds meeting the agronomic requirements were formed with the tractor gear shift set at low second gear, engine RPM at 1400 and PTO at 400 RPM.
• The average workrate was found to be 0.2-0.5 ha/h depending on the soil type
• A headland of 1.5 meter was needed at the ends of the plot for turning.

TECHNOLOGY STATUS

• The Bedformer implement is suitable for making of raised beds for the planting of tobacco, vegetables and other field crops in areas where sudden heavy rain may occur.
• The standard rotary tillers presently used by the contractors for custom-hiring service for land cultivation can be adapted for bedforming.
• Commercial production of the Bedformer has not yet been fully exploited.

ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

Economic evaluation of Bedformer utilisation

• Owning and operating costs of Bedformer

Economic evaluation of Bedformer manufacture

• The additional cost that is needed to adapt the standard rotary tillers into the Bedformer was estimated at about RM 1,800 without the subsoilers and about RM 3,600 with the subsoilers