Browsing by Subject "Agricultural machinery"

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Beitrag zur Untersuchung des Innovationsgeschehens und ausgewählter Unternehmen der deutschen Landmaschinenindustrie von den Anfängen bis in die 1970er Jahre
(2017) Krombholz, Klaus; Köller, Karlheinz
Industrial production of agricultural equipment had already begun in the 18th century in England. First of all, the USA and from the middle of the 19th century onwards also Germany increasingly followed this development. Though this sector had primarily been characterized by crafts enterprises and small establishments for a long time, already in the 19th century the first large companies had arisen. During the following time, however, the small and mediumsize enterprises still dominated. Only as from the middle of the 20th century a gradual trend to large companies was to be found that began to prevail more and more also in Germany from the end of the 20th century. Within the agricultural engineering of the GDR this development had already taken place some decades earlier. After a relatively continuous development during the first decades essential changes in the corporate landscape occurred after a time of economic boom in the 1920s. This process was fortified by inflation and the depression. The majority of the large concerns established in the time of startups were affected thereby. The overcapacity generated again from a boom in the 1950s resulted in serious structural changes and in reducing the potential. Though the agricultural engineering of West Germany experienced a short special boom by the reunification at the beginning of the 1990s, the decrease in turnover as from the middle of the 1980s decisively influenced the corporate landscape during the 1990s. In this period foreign companies became active on the market to a great extent and advanced the globalisation of the sector. The agricultural industry in East Germany had diminished to a negligible dimension already in the middle of the 1990s. The German agriculture at first supplied themselves with agricultural engineering by imports primarily from England and the USA. However, already in the first decades of the 20th century the German industry of agricultural machinery could overcome the dependence on imports to a large extent and in the following they could achieve first places within the export rates in the international comparison by increasing own export rates. Beside the first own developments of the products, initially, the reproduction and replication of English and American prototypes dominated. In the second half of the 20th century, German developments were, above all, derived from American products in decreasing tendency. Finally, as from the 1990s, when the highest requirements were given to the agricultural machinery of the East German agricultural large enterprises on the local market, the German agricultural engineering grew to a leading driver of innovation. Though the German agricultural technicians also innovatively dealt with the whole range of the mechanisation solutions for the agricultural sector already very early, the product groups ripened at different times and were accepted and applied by the farming practice. Under this aspect, the innovation process was divided up into the former and later innovation areas. In the initial period the whole current agricultural technical product line was prevalently offered in the German agricultural machinery industry, whereas the assortment was subdivided in own developments, follow-up developments and reproductions as well as trading goods. At first, the enterprises only little focused on specialising in a limited assortment. This development increasingly began only as from the 1920s. From this point of view also the larger concerns only very rarely could aim at high-volume production. Especially the German production of tractors that was distributed among a large number of enterprises up to the 1960s had been burdened by comparatively low quantities and therefore by predominantly small-lot and medium-sized serial production for a long time. By contrast, the agricultural machinery of the GDR with its relatively small assortment was, in most of its product programmes, oriented towards high-sized serial production with extremely high export shares already from the 1960s onwards.
Betriebswirtschaftliche Analyse des Einsatzes moderner Agrartechnik in der Körnerfrüchteproduktion in Russland.
(2007) Vorontsova, Tatiana; Zeddies, Jürgen
The dissertation in hand refers to the optimisation of conventional cultivation methods by the use of resource-saving technologies in cereal production at six agricultural survey enterprises in the Region of Samara/Russia. The aim of the optimisation is to estimate the economic efficiency of the changeover from conventional to resource-saving cultivation methods as well as to evaluate the use of agricultural machinery adapted to the specific technology, and, starting from this basis, to develop practice-oriented and efficiency-increasing solutions. Agriculture is still one of the most important branches of the economy in the Region of Samara on the middle Volga. The climatic conditions are not optimal for a successful grain production, while this branch plays an important role in the region. Despite of the positive development, in grain production in the Region of Samara the production potential has not yet been completely used. During the last years a considerable reduction in the agricultural machinery stock could be noticed, mainly because of obsolescence and wastage of the agricultural machinery as well as the small number of new purchases. The equipment at the disposal of the agricultural enterprises for plant cultivation, during the years 1990 to 2002 ? if compared to the requirements in agricultural technics ? amounted to approximately 46 percent of the tractors needed and approximately 56 percent of the combine harvesters needed. This entailed that the optimal time periods were not matched which, as a consequence, led to the reduction in the yields and an extension of the area not harvested. In order to create favorable conditions for an efficient grain production and for the development of the grain market in the Region of Samara, in 1998 the programme for the "Improvement of the grain production by the application of resource and accordingly watersaving cultivation methods 1998-2002" was starting to be implemented. The changeover from conventional cultivation methods to the use of resource-saving methods including modern and efficient agricultural technics represents a big challenge especially for medium-sized and small farms with a restricted financial potential. Through excluding ploughing from the soil cultivation work process as a most cost-intensive operation, as a result of the optimisation, machine costs can be reduced considerably under the system of preserving soil tillage. On average, these machine costs amount to 18.3 ?/ha with no-till cultivation, and are thus approximately 6 percent lower than with the conventional cultivation methods that were practised in the survey enterprises before. The average machine costs for direct drilling methods amount to approximately 15 ?/ha and can consequently be further reduced by about 18 percent if compared to no-till cultivation methods, and by approximately 22 percent if compared to conventional production methods. However, in the case of applying modern agricultural technics for resource-saving cultivation methods, the resulting fixed costs considerably surmount those of conventional cultivation methods. The modern agricultural machinery shows, however, a substantially higher performance potential. In the long-term, it can be assumed that the modern agricultural machines in this context are the more efficient solution. Moreover, the economic efficiency analysis of the cultivation methods? rearrangement rendered considerable advantages as to the development of labour demand and costs at the questioned agricultural enterprises. The application of resource-saving cultivation methods contributes to a noticeable decrease in labour demand. Under application of optimised cultivation methods, the labour cost is approximately 1.3 ?/ha or 60 percent lower than the total labour costs in the case of conventional cultivation methods. Although the implementation of resource-saving cultivation methods basically does not require an intensified application of fertilisers and pesticides, their aplication volume is being raised and adapted to the necessary level within the frame of the optimisation process. Under favourable weather conditions thus an increase of the yield per hectare as well as of the quality, and in the medium-term, a positive influence on the cereal production can be expected. As result of the conducted optimisation of cultivation methods and of the implementation of the recommended measures at the survey agricultural enterprises in the Region of Samara, a change in the obtained gross margin can be detained. The average gross margin decreases under no-till cultivation by approximately 24 percent and amounts to 58 ?/ha. The calculated gross margin for the direct drilling methods amounts to 61 ?/ha and is still below the amount effected under conventional cultivation methods. The calculated equilibrium points at the fact that the implementation of the optimised cultivation methods requires an increase of the hectare yield in the survey farms by 2.5 dt/ha on average. In order to reach a positive economic effect or at least the same economic efficiency as with use of conventional cultivation methods, the hectare yield should be increased to approximately 23 dt/ha or, by 12 percent. In spite of the findings resulting from the optimisation calculations that the gross margins are reduced with direct drilling as well as with no-till cultivation methods, the results in Samara Region, however, indicate a continuous increase of the economic efficiency under the condition of a long-term application of resource-saving cultivation methods in cereal production. The rearrangement of the conventional cultivation methods towards the optimised resource-saving technologies is under these conditions for the survey agricultural enterprises advantageous in a long-term view.
Entwicklung der Zufriedenheit der Landmaschinenhändler mit den Herstellern
(2015) Becker, Tilman; Semenenko, Ksenia
Bereits im April/Mai 2006 und im April/Mai 2008 wurde die Zufriedenheit der Landmaschinenhändler mit ihren Herstellern im Rahmen einer schriftlichen Befragung abgefragt. Eine Online-Befragung erfolgte dann im April/Mai 2015. Insgesamt nahmen 160 Händler an der Befragung teil. Wie 2006 und 2008 wurde auch 2015 die Bewertung der Händler zu fünf unterschiedlichen Kategorien abgefragt: - Traktoren - Mähdrescher - Futtererntetechnik - Bodenbearbeitung und Saat - Technik für Pflanzenschutz und Düngung. Abgefragt wurden z.B.: - Gesamtzufriedenheit mit jeweiligem Hauptlieferanten - Zufriedenheit mit einzelnen Marketingmaßnahmen im Detail Die Marketingmaßnahmen umfassen z.B. die Bereiche: - Produktprogramm - Zukunft der Lieferanten im Wettbewerb - Beziehung zu Lieferanten. Die Gesamtzufriedenheit setzt sich aus der Zufriedenheit in den einzelnen Bereichen zusammen. Um die Bedeutung einzelner Bereiche für die Gesamtzufriedenheit zu bewerten, wurde der Korrelationskoeffizient zwischen der Gesamtzufriedenheit und dem jeweiligen Bereich berechnet. Zusammenfassend kann man einen zumindest leichten Anstieg bei der Gesamtzufriedenheit feststellen. Lediglich in der Produktgruppe der Mähdrescher kam es zu einer insgesamt schlechteren Bewertung als 2006. Bezogen auf alle Beurteilungen konnte die Futtererntetechnik wie schon in den Vorjahren am besten abschneiden.
Factors influencing the adoption of agricultural machinery by Chinese maize farmers
(2021) Quan, Xiuhao; Doluschitz, Reiner
As the major labor force has shifted from rural areas to cities, labor shortages in agricultural production have resulted. In the context of technical progress impact, and depending on farm resource endowments, farmers will choose effective labor saving technology such as machinery to substitute for the missing manual labor. The reasons behind farmers’ adoption of machinery technology are worth exploring. Therefore, this study uses 4165 Chinese maize farmers as the target group. Multivariate probit models were performed to identify the factors that affect maize farmers’ adoption of four machinery technologies as well as the interrelation between these adoption decisions. The empirical results indicate that maize sowing area, arable land area, crop diversity, family labor, subsidy, technical assistance, and economies of scale have positive effects on machinery adoption, while the number of discrete fields in the farm has a negative impact. Maize farmers in the Northeast and North have higher machinery adoption odds than other regions. The adoption of these four machinery technologies are interrelated and complementary. Finally, moderate scale production, crop diversification, subsidizing agricultural machinery and its extension education, and land consolidation, are given as recommendations for promoting the adoption of agricultural machinery by Chinese maize farmers.
The adoption of agricultural machinery and its economic impacts in China
(2023) Quan, Xiuhao; Doluschitz, Reiner
In modern agriculture, machinery plays an important role to substitute manual labor and to improve productivity and economic performance of farm households. Conventional agricultural machinery in crop production includes tractors, cultivators, tillers, combine harvesters, pumps, threshers, planters, fertilizer spreaders, seeders, etc. In recent years, as an innovative agricultural machinery, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been adopted in precision agriculture for crop monitoring and crop spraying. However, factors influencing Chinese farmers’ adoption of agricultural machinery and the economic impacts of the adoption have not been adequately studied, especially regarding farm machinery in maize production and UAVs in precision agriculture. In addition, there is limited literature that systematically summarizes the use of UAVs in maize production. The development of UAV-based pattern management in Chinese agriculture and the prerequisites for adopting and implementing this approach remain unclear. By utilizing farm household data, qualitative methods, and econometric quantitative methods, this dissertation aims to (i) identify the factors influencing the adoption of farm machinery and UAVs by Chinese farmers; (ii) estimate the economic impacts of adopting farm machinery and UAVs; (iii) provide an overview of UAV applications in maize production; (iv) study the prerequisites for adopting and implementing UAV-based pattern management in Chinese agriculture; (v) outline and recommend policy instruments to promote the use of farm machinery and UAVs in China. The empirical results indicate that the determinants of farm machinery adoption and UAV adoption can be attributed by three major aspects: farmer characteristics (e.g., age, education level, and perceptions about agricultural machinery), farm characteristics (e.g., farm size, land fragmentation, and cooperative membership), and other external socio-economic factors (e.g., subsidies, technical assistance, and labor shortages). The adoption of farm machinery and UAVs has shown significantly positive economic effects. However, the effects vary among farm household types due to the heterogeneous farm characteristics and socio-economic conditions. Farm machinery use significantly increased maize yield by 0.216 tons/ha and improved labor productivity by 18.65%. Young, male, and better-educated farmers benefit more from adopting farm machinery, and farms located in plain regions with cooperative membership and rented land can gain higher economic benefits from machinery use. In addition, the impacts of farm machinery adoption on maize yield and labor productivity slightly decrease with farm size. The adoption of UAVs in pesticide application significantly increased revenue and reduced the time spent on pesticide application by approximately 434-488 USD/ha and 14.4-15.8 hours/ha, respectively. In terms of marginal revenue and marginal time spent on pesticide application, the optimal area for using UAVs in pesticide spraying is estimated to be 20 hectares of arable land, suggesting that small and medium-scale farmers are the main beneficiaries of UAV adoption. For the wide application of UAV-based pattern management in precision agriculture, certain socio-economic and technical prerequisites are necessary. These include farmers possessing adequate UAV-related capabilities, relatively large farm sizes, availability of UAV-related subsidies, and superior UAV performance. Balancing the pros and cons, the effective promotion of farm machinery in maize production and UAVs in precision agriculture requires the establishment of a comprehensive socio-economic institution. This institution should integrate strategies from both the public and private sectors such as the implementation of land consolidation, the establishment of agricultural machinery cooperatives for benefit-risk sharing, the provision of practical training and education on agricultural machinery, and subsidies for the purchase of agricultural machinery. Due to the heterogeneous effects of farm machinery adoption and UAV adoption, it is necessary to develop customized extension services tailored to various types of farm households to prevent inequity among farmers.
Die Zufriedenheit der Landmaschinenhändler mit den Herstellern
(2010) Becker, Tilman; Staus, Alexander
This paper analyses satisfaction of agricultural machinery dealers with manufacturers of such. While several analyses have focused on carmakers for quite some time, this paper analyses the field of agricultural machinery for the first time. Between 2006 and 2008, dealers of agricultural machinery were queried about their overall satisfaction regarding distribution and marketing measures taken by the respective manufacturers. We categorised distribution and marketing measures into 38 subquestions, which we can summarise in 8 independent dimensions. We analysed the following tractor brands: Case IH, Claas, Deutz-Fahr, Fendt, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, and New Holland. In terms of overall satisfaction, Fendt achieved the best results followed by CLAAS, Deutz-Fahr, and John Deere. Massey Ferguson, New Holland, and Case IH obtained poor ratings. Between 2006 and 2008, Case IH and New Holland saw the greatest increase in overall satisfaction, thus moving up to the mid-range. Fendt and Claas shared the two top positions in all dimensions. Fendt shows optimal results in three areas: product programme, design of purchasing conditions, and relationship with manufacturer. Regarding the five remaining dimensions, Claas is spearheading in terms of satisfaction. We observe a similiar result for 2006. Fendt dominates with its product programme and shares the top position with Claas regarding relationship with manufacturers. Nonetheless, Fendt leads the way for overall satisfaction significantly. Considering the results of the remaining brands, we observe that good and poor ratings of the product programme and the design of purchasing conditions correlate with good and poor ratings of overall satisfaction. Of all dimensions, the correlation between overall satisfaction and product programme is highest with 0.73. The regression results confirm the relevance of the product programme for overall satisfaction. Three of the four items are significant: Product innovation, product quality and performance, and pricing. While the regression cannot confirm the relevance of designing purchasing conditions, two items within the dimension marketing and sales promotion have a significant impact. For tractors, there is a correlation between overall satisfaction and market share or changes in market share. Market shares and overall satisfaction increased for Fendt, Case IH and Claas between 2006 and 2008, while both figures fell for John Deere. The shares of Deutz-Fahr and Massey Ferguson remain relatively constant, while the overall satisfaction of dealers is slightly declining. New Holland faces fluctuations up and down between the years. Overall satisfaction grew. The development in overall satisfaction can serve as an indicator for future market share developments.