Operational Performance of Mechanized Forest Establishment Activities in Function of the Pluviometric Regime

Select Volume / Issue:

• Volume 7, Issue 4, July 2020

Year:

2020

Type of Publication:

Article

Keywords:

Mechanization, Forestry, Forest Production, Operational Efficiency

Authors:

Schettino, Stanley; de Melo Oliveira, Mariana Kelly; Lima, Roldao Carlos Andrade; Nascimento, Glicia Silvania Pedroso; Minette, Luciano Jose

Journal:

IJRAS

Volume:

7

Number:

4

Pages:

180-188

Month:

July

ISSN:

2348-3997

Abstract:

The knowledge of the productive capacity and of the variables that interfere in the machines' performance is fundamental for the planning and optimization of mechanized forest establishment operations.To evaluate operating performance and efficiency of agricultural tractors in mechanized activities of forest deployment depending on rainfall, this research was conducted in areas of afforestation deployment of eucalyptus a forest company in the municipality of Açailândia, in the South of the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Based on rainfall data, the months with rainfall less than 100 mm were considered as a dry period (April to October) and the others as a rainy period (November to March). Considering the activities of irrigation, fertilization and application and pesticides, from the number of scheduled and effective hours of work of the machines and reasons for stoppages, obtained from historical files from 2016/April to 2017/March of the company, the operational yield was calculated (ha.h-¹), effective hours of work (h) and operational efficiency (%) for all months in the period. The results, submitted to the T Test with 99% probability, demonstrated that there are significant differences between scheduled hours and hours actually worked when considering the rainy and dry periods throughout the year for all evaluated variables, being the worked hours, the yield and lower operational efficiency during the rainy season. It’s concluded that the pluviometric significantly affects the operational performance and efficiency of agricultural tractors in mechanized forest establishment activities; and that the planning of mechanized forest establishment activities in a linear way throughout all of the year has not been effective, resulting in the lack of punctuality of operations.

Full text: IJISM_877_FINAL.pdf