We investigated the efficiency of energy utilization for the various methods of grain harvesting which generally consumed a lot of labor and fuel.
1) From the viewpoint of the ratio of E1/E2 (energy output/direct energy input), a conventional combine (CC) was profitable to barley, wheat and soybean, but a head-feeding combine (HC) was profitable to rice.
2) When we plotted the data of load change from HC to CC on a surface F-T, it showed the typeII change. In this case, the reduction of T(h/ha) by introduction of CC was formed in compensation for increasing F(kg/h), but the conversion to a bigger machine was effective judging from the changes of L(kg/h) and T.
3) The harvesting loss of HC was smaller than that of CC in rice, but the loss of CC was smaller than that of HC in barley, wheat and soybean.
4) From the viewpoint of the ratio of E1/E2, both CC and HC were more profitable when these combines were operated at higher travelling speed than the ordinary.
5) From the analysis of fuel consumed in harvesting, the most predominant item was a [load by engine without working] which constituted 40-74% of the total fuel consumption. The item of [load by crop feeding] of CC was more effective than that of HC.

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In present-day Japan, farmers are faced with ever-decreasing production quotas set by the government on how much rice they may grow. It's very important for farmers to find out how to compensate for a decrease in income caused by government controls of rice production. One way to solve this problem is by establishing a compound production system operated by agricultural producers' organizations, thereby increasing the utilization rate of converted paddy fields, and cutting down production costs.
In order to analyze the management effects of this system, we have compiled data on the Rokken-Yashiki High Efficiency Cooperative Organization of Machinery Work (R organization), which is the pioneer of agricultural producers' organizations in Yoneyama, Miyagi Prefecture. The data covers the depreciation and production costs for 10a of rice growing in 1985. The results are as follows:
1) The depreciation costs of agricultural machinery and facilities in R organization (whose total cultivatable land per member is about 5.5 times larger than Miyagi's average) were only 25.6% of the average costs for Miyagi Prefecture. As a result, the production costs were reduced to 50.5% of the average production costs in Miyagi Prefecture.
2) When R organization limited its cultivation to rice growing only, the depreciation and production costs were reduced to 59.3% and 86.6% respectively of the previous average costs.
3) When we compared the cost to R organization of compound production by operating only their own machinery and facilities, the depreciation and production costs were reduced to 88.8% and 97.2% respectively of previous average costs.
Additional refinements and innovations in mechanized work are expected to further improve the production costs, yield and working hours.

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