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LASER Land Leveling in Rice Farming

Julian F. Cacho

BAE 4213April 28, 2004

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Overview

LASER

LASER Leveling System

How LASER Leveling Works Benefits of LASER Land Leveling in Rice

Farming

Limitations of LASER Land Leveling Possible ways to overcome the limitations

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LASER Defined:

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission ofRadiation

Light of special properties

Lasers amplify light Radiation coverage atwavelengths ranging from IR to UV and even Soft X-ray range (XUV)

XUV (10 nm

30 nm)

(www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.html )

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.html

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LASER Leveling System

Laser Transmitter

Laser Receiver

Electrical Control Panel

Twin Solenoid HydraulicControl Valve

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LASER Transmitter

- Sends the LASER beam rapidly in a circular manner

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LASER Receiver (Omni-directional)

- Intercepts the LASER beam

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Electrical Control Panel

- Accepts andInterprets the signal from the LASER receiver

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Twin Solenoid Hydraulic Control

Valve

- Raises or lowers the bucket

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Benefits of Precise Land Leveling

Increases Yield

Reduces Weed Problems by even water

distribution

Increases Opportunity to Use Direct

Seeding

Increases Water Use Efficiency

Other benefits

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Yield Increase

Table 1. Results of Land leveling experimentsconducted by CIAP in Cambodia, 1996-1999Year Rice Yield (t/ha)

Leveled Fields Unleveled Fields

1996 3.40 2.671997 2.27 1.46

1998 2.72 2.36

1999 (CARDI) 2.34 2.00

Average 2.72 2.19

Average Increase = 24% or 530 kg/ha

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Reduces Weed Problems by Even

Water Distribution

Improved water coverage

- reduces the weed by up to 40% (Rickman,2002)

Reduction of time for crop weeding(Rickman,2002)

- from 21 to 5 labor days/hectare- 75% decrease in labor required for

weeding

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Increases the Opportunity to Use

Direct Seeding

- Direct seeding reduces labor by approximately 30 person-days/hectare

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Increased Water Use Efficiency

Reduction in time andwater required to

irrigate the field- 25 to 50 % less water

to flood the field

(Coblentz, 2000)

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Other Benefits

Highly Accessible and Inexpensive Input

Data

- topographic map

-internet, local agricultural offices

Re-leveling takes 5 to 10 years (Rickman,2002)

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Limitations of LASER Land

Leveling

High Cost of the equipment/LASER

instrument

Need for Skilled operator to set/adjust

laser settings and operate the tractor

More efficient for regularly sized and

shape field

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Possible Ways to Overcome the

Limitations in the Third World Countries

Government Intervention

- precision land leveling services on a subsidizedrental basis

- The Government of Punjab, India chargesservices by Rs. 150/hr = $3.4/hr = Php187.5/hr

Intervention of Farmers Cooperatives and

Other Farmers Associations

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References:

http://msucares.com/news/print/agnews/an00/000742tw.htm

http://www.ricefarming.com/home/archive/precleveling.html

http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/laserLeveling/How_it_works.htm

http://www.punjab.gov.pk/agriculture/water_management/agriculture

_water_management http://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/uccerice/water/wtrmg03.htm

http://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/sf/2003/october/0310precision_ri

ce.html

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.html

Rickman, J. F., 2002. Manual for laser land leveling, Rice-Wheat

Consortium Technical Bulletin Series 5. New Delhi-110 012, India:

Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains, pp. 24.

Dr. Marvin Stone, Dr. John Solie, and Dr. Bill Raun

http://msucares.com/news/print/agnews/an00/000742tw.htmhttp://www.ricefarming.com/home/archive/precleveling.htmlhttp://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/laserLeveling/How_it_works.htmhttp://www.punjab.gov.pk/agriculture/water_management/agriculture_water_managementhttp://www.punjab.gov.pk/agriculture/water_management/agriculture_water_managementhttp://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/uccerice/water/wtrmg03.htmhttp://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/sf/2003/october/0310precision_rice.htmlhttp://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/sf/2003/october/0310precision_rice.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/Glossary.htmlhttp://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/sf/2003/october/0310precision_rice.htmlhttp://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/sf/2003/october/0310precision_rice.htmlhttp://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/uccerice/water/wtrmg03.htmhttp://www.punjab.gov.pk/agriculture/water_management/agriculture_water_managementhttp://www.punjab.gov.pk/agriculture/water_management/agriculture_water_managementhttp://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/laserLeveling/How_it_works.htmhttp://www.ricefarming.com/home/archive/precleveling.htmlhttp://msucares.com/news/print/agnews/an00/000742tw.htm

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Oopps!.........

. No LASER Precise Answers

. For Difficult Questions!