Koto Panjang Ikua Koto Village, Koto Tangah District is a very fertile agricultural area in Padang City. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Padang City in March 2021, the rice harvested area in Koto Tangah District is 3,941 ha and production is 21,892 tons with a productivity of 5.55 tons/ha. This is something that must be considered, mechanization and modernization in the agricultural system make it a priority project, here academics will be present to form synergy with the government and local communities in developing the technology. Koto Panjang Ikua Koto Village, Koto Tangah District, the majority of the population in the agricultural sector is rice and secondary crops farmers.
The impact of modernization and mechanization in agriculture cannot be avoided and separated from the needs of farmers today, as a result this condition has advantages and disadvantages. The educational background and knowledge of the community, especially farmers, are very low about agricultural technology, especially on hand tractor machines. Each hand tractor machine has a usage limit (work hour) and if it reaches the usage limit, periodic maintenance must be carried out (maintenance period). If this is not done, the engine will suffer fatal damage, including overheating, engine failure, high vibration, piston clock, and the worst is the occurrence of damage that requires replacing components. Damage to the hand tractor machine results in farmers experiencing losses in terms of time and cost.
The Department of Automotive Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, which specializes in motor combustion, provides basic knowledge and training to farmers about hand tractor machines so that with this activity farmers can have the knowledge and skills of regular maintenance of their own hand tractor machines and can avoid things that can harm farmers in terms of both time and cost. Therefore, the Community Service Implementation Team (Abdimas) Department of Automotive Engineering FT-UNP intends to carry out regular hand tractor maintenance training. In addition to training, the Abdimas Implementation Team also provided assistance with one (1) unit of hand tractor diesel engine that can be used by farmers as a medium for regular hand tractor maintenance training.
This community service activity was chaired by Drs. Martias, M.Pd. with members of Dr. Dori Yuvenda, S.Pd., M.T. and Dr. Randi Purnama Putra, S.Pd., M.T. The training instructor is Ahmad Arif, S.Pd., M.T. and Rijal Mukhtar, S.Pd. The training was carried out from 13 to 16 October 2021 in Koto Panjang Ikua Koto Village, Koto Tangah District, Padang City. In this training, the method of lectures, questions and answers, demonstrations, assignment and guidance is used. The implementation of the training ran smoothly and successfully so as to improve the knowledge and skills of farmers in carrying out regular hand tractor maintenance.
With the completion of this hand tractor periodic maintenance training, it is hoped that farmers as training participants can carry out periodic hand tractor maintenance independently properly and correctly according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and can save farmers’ expenses in hand tractor maintenance.
After the training, the Farmers Group thanked the Implementing Team from the Department of Automotive Engineering, FT-UNP and hoped that this activity could take place every year so that it could improve farmers’ knowledge and skills about hand tractor care in a sustainable manner in accordance with technological developments.
[News by : Drs. Martias, M.Pd. – Head of the PKM Team]
