Assessment of combine harvesters used in rice production in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract The Mekong Delta is considered as the rice granary of Vietnam with an annual production of 24.2 million tons. With the rapid development on agricultural mechanization, harvesting was one of the processes that was mechanized. Over the past decade, the adoption and advancement of combine harvesters have been rapidly. In the face of growing competitiveness, the imperative to establish best practices for combine harvesters becomes increasingly necessary. Thus, a comprehensive study was conducted incorporating surveys and field tests to assess both technical performance and economic feasibility. The result of the study showed that the average size of rice field ranges from 0.77 to 1.62 hectares per plot, with plots spanning 0.5 – 1.0 hectares and 1.0 – 1.5 hectares constituting 18.9% and 25.9%, respectively. The average effective field capacity of combine harvesters was 0.62 hectares per hour, displaying a notable variability from 0.29 to 1.00 hectares per hour. Total losses attributed to the combine harvester is 2.7 ± 0.49% coupled with a 0.4% scattering loss before harvesting, depending on the condition of the crop and the field. The study found out that the application of combine harvesters, coupled with proper operation and maintenance practices contributed to mitigating grain losses, reducing harvesting cost, and addressing labor shortages during the crucial harvesting period in Mekong Delta region in Vietnam.