Fieldwork days and machinery capacity (2007)

Abstract

One of the more difficult decisions for farm managers is determining the appropriate machinery performance level to match the workload. The vagaries of weather, the narrow window of time to complete critical fieldwork, and the relatively high capital cost of equipment add complexity to an important decision. In this guide, the probability of not completing fieldwork in a timely fashion is used as a way to quantify the risk of incurring excess costs due to weather uncertainty. Without climatic data it is difficult to estimate the extent of risk exposure or to judge whether a farm is over or under capacity.