Mechanization

History of Agricultural Mechanization

In a basic sense, agricultural technology began with the birth of agriculture itself. Though we do not know exactly when and where people first began to plant seeds and cultivate their own crops, technological innovations have been ongoing in agriculture ever since that time. These innovations have included changes in systems of implementing and managing [Page 304]agricultural production, changes in the variety and type of crops planted, and innovations in the tools used to plant, nurture, harvest, and process agricultural products. All of these types of innovation in agriculture have occurred at different speeds and in different directions in different countries, and even in different regions of the same country.

Although all types of agriculture involve some level of technology, only certain types can truly be referred to as mechanized. Subsistence and shifting-cultivation systems of agriculture are some of the oldest agricultural systems and may include the use of technology in the form of tools such as hoes, rakes, spades, and machetes. However, it would be a stretch to call these kinds of agriculture mechanized, as the majority of the farm work in these systems relies heavily on human effort. The adoption of the use of the horse- or oxen-drawn plow represents a first step in agricultural mechanization.

Modern mechanized agriculture began as early as the 16th century in Great Britain. The widespread use of tools, as well as new practices such as crop rotation, improved crop yields. During this time, most farming still relied heavily on human and animal labor, including the widespread use of the plow. However, steady improvements in tools and farming methods were related to a subsequent population boom and freeing-up of much of the workforce, two factors frequently credited for the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. With the Industrial Revolution, innovations in mechanization in European agricultural practices only intensified. During this time, major advances in technology included the tractor and the combine harvester, which greatly improved the speed at which farming tasks could be performed and led to an increase in the size of farms, as well as contributed to a less strenuous and safer work environment for laborers.

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