Country-appropriate operating cost estimation scheme based on curve fitting for rice combine harvester

Abstract

This research explores two operating cost estimation models as a function of repair and maintenance (R&M) outlay for domestically-made rice combine harvesters: ASAE-based and power function-fitted estimation models. The goal is to establish a guideline for operating cost estimation suited to the agricultural context of Thailand. In the study, variable cost data belonged to the country’s northeastern region. Simulations were carried out using MATLAB/Simulink and results compared. The ASAE-based operating cost estimations were consistently larger than those of power function-fitted model, and the divergence became more pronounced with increase in harvest area. The finding could be attributed to country-specificity in which R&M practices varied from country to country. Essentially, the power function-fitted estimation model is more suited to the agricultural context of Thailand, in comparison with the ASAE-based model which tends to overestimate the cost figure.