Prediction of Labor Requirement and Cost of Pick-up Type Pulse Crop Harvester for Soybean and Red Bean Harvesting

Purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate the labor requirement and the cost-reducing effects of the pick-up type pulse crop harvester compared with those of conventional harvesting for soybeans and red beans. Methods: The labor requirement and the cost to gather, thresh, and clean for conventional harvesting operations were surveyed; those for the pick-up type pulse crop harvester were estimated for soybeans and red beans. The annual capacity of the harvester and the break-even area of the two harvesting methods were also estimated. Results: For soybean harvesting, the labor requirement of 0.57 hour-persons/10 a for the pick-up type pulse crop harvester reflects a 91.9% reduction in the labor requirement of 7.00 hour-persons/10 a for conventional harvesting. Machinery costs of 51,300 won/10 a for the harvester were estimated for an annual harvesting area of 52.5 ha/year, representing a reduction of 33.3% from the 78,700 won/10 a cost of conventional harvesting. A break-even area of 28.4 ha was estimated for the two harvestings. For red bean harvesting, the labor requirement of 0.57 hour-persons/10 a for the harvester reflects a 92.6% reduction in the labor requirement of 7.66 hour-persons/10 a for conventional harvesting. For an annual harvesting area of 52.5 ha/year, annual capacity of 52.5 ha/year and machinery costs of 51,700 won/10 a were estimated for the harvester, reflecting a reduction of 44.7% in the cost of 93,500 won/10 a for conventional harvesting. A break-even area of 23.1 ha was estimated for the two harvestings. A governmental subsidy for purchasing the harvester could contribute to reducing the break-even area and harvesting costs. Conclusions: The pick-up type pulse crop harvester for soybean and red bean harvesting could reduce the labor requirement and costs of conventional harvesting, and a governmental subsidy for purchasing the harvester will improve the economics of the harvester for efficient mechanical harvesting.