Field Performance Evaluation of Three-Wheeled and Semi-mechanized Spreaders for Oil Palm Fertilization on Peat Terrain
摘要
Nowadays, various machines for crop fertilization are available on the market to facilitate and accelerate operations in line with plantation management needs. Different machines possess distinct capabilities in performing these tasks. However, the limited number of studies comparing field performance has hindered the accurate identification of the most suitable machine for specific applications. This study evaluated the three-wheeled and semi-mechanized spreaders for fertilizing oil palm on peat terrain in Ladang Sungai Pasir, located within the Endau–Rompin peat region of Pahang, Malaysia. The peat terrain in the region was characterized by high moisture content, low bulk density, and weak structural strength. The duration of each task and machine productivity was measured using a time-and-motion study, while the total cost of operation for each machine was also calculated. The results showed that spreading was the most time-consuming task for both the three-wheeled and the semi-mechanized spreader for each mean duration of 374 seconds (6.23 min) and 481 seconds (8.02 min), respectively. The three-wheeled spreader demonstrated a field capacity of 6.58 ha h−1, which is 20.82% higher than the 5.21 ha h−1 achieved by the semi-mechanized spreader. The estimated total cost of operation for the three-wheeled spreader was RM 5.34 ha−1 (USD 1.17 ha−1), which is 48.25% lower than that of the semi-mechanized spreader at RM 10.32 ha−1 (USD 2.26 ha−1). Hence, cost savings of RM 4.98 ha−1 (USD 1.09 ha−1) were achieved with the three-wheeled spreader. Overall, the three-wheeled spreader provided a more economical option for fertilizer application on peat soils in Malaysian oil palm plantations.