Design Science and Innovation
P. K. Nag
L. P. Gite
Human-Centered
Agriculture
Ergonomics and Human Factors Applied
Design Science and Innovation
Series Editor
Amaresh Chakrabarti, Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/15399
P. K. Nag
L. P. Gite
Human-Centered Agriculture
Ergonomics and Human Factors Applied
123
P. K. Nag
Environment and Disaster Management
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda
Educational and Research Institute
(Deemed University)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
L. P. Gite
AICRP, Ergonomics and Safety
in Agriculture
Central Institute of Agricultural
Engineering (ICAR)
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
ISSN 2509-5986 ISSN 2509-5994 (electronic)
Design Science and Innovation
ISBN 978-981-15-7268-5 ISBN 978-981-15-7269-2 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7269-2
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Singapore
The book is dedica ted to the few who spend
their lives in feeding all of humanity
Preface
About 12 millennia ago, the humankind recognized that food and feed could be
produced from the cultivation of plants. This discovery of humankind is the highest
achievement in the history of time for subsistence and survival of eight billion
people today. Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, aptly expressed
Civilization, as it is known today, could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without
an adequate food supply. About one billion people sweat in agriculture to pro-
duce nearly 3 billion tonnes of food grains and other food commodities. Whereas
corporatization and value-added commercial farming in the Western world witness
incorporation of gigantic farm machinery, automation, and robotic application, the
scenario is gloomy in Asia, Africa, and other developing countries. The predominant
farm workforce belongs to small and marginal farm holdi ngs, with their primary
dependence on the traditional farming methods, by using animal power or through
sectoral mechanization. Undoubtedly, improvement in lif e and living of the work-
force bears the fundamental focus towards sustainable food security and the liveli-
hood of the majority of the rural population.
The traditional farming practices are drudgery-prone. The newer farm machines,
if not correctly designed and operated, can lead to a higher number of accidents and
injuries. Besides, health hazards of the farmworkers arise from the exposure of
workplace stress agents such as vibration, noise, dust, climatic stress, and toxic
agrochemicals. The present book titled as Human-Centered Agriculture comes out
of the authors clear understanding that the farmers and farmworkers deserve a
decent living with reduced drudgery, better health and safety, and productivity at
the workplace. The sublime of the present contribution evolves from the prophetic
message of W. B. Jastrzebowski, the Polish professor who pioneered the discipline
of ergonomics and human factors, that made the proclamation Work is the mother of
all good ... Work enriches us, making us more like unto the divine. Mans forces
and faculties evolve in the form of physical labour, aesthetic, rational, and moral
(expressing labour, entertainmen t, reasoning, and dedication).
An effort has gone into concept ualizing the content of the book, bringing an
assimilated convergence of the knowledge base of physiology, ergonomics and
human factors, agricultural engineering, and behavioural and health sciences.
vii
Literature source materials have been drawn from extensive electronic searching of
databases and manual searching of journals, proceedings, and standards in the
related domain. In-depth scrutiny of literature gives a perception of scatteredness
of the source materials in terms of the strength and consistency of evidence on the
specic subject matter. Field experiments, observational studies, and design inter-
ventions on farming tools and practices were considered persuasive in selecting the
source materials. Due to scatteredness, however, the selection of studies was par-
tially purposive. Potentially unfamiliar numerical and statistical derivations have
generally been avoided. Many national and international standards are quoted in
related chapters despite the usual brevity in the public domain.
With the view of the multi-disciplinary readership, the book is organized into six
major areas of importance, namely agriculture growth and development (Part I),
fundamentals of ergonomics and human factors (Part II), farm development (Part
III), health and safety (Part IV), ergonomics application in design (Part V), and
health services in agriculture (Part VI).
Part I, Agriculture growth and development, brings a brief overview of world
agriculture and workforce including women in farming (Chap. 1) and elaborates the
conventional farming work methods and practices in small landholding (Chap. 2).
Part II, Fundamentals of ergonomics and human factors, includes the conceptual
understanding of the subje ct matter about work and workplace design in farming.
The part embodies the historical emergence of the discipline of ergonomics and
human factors and its gradual penetration in agricultural practices (Chap. 3), the
workplace drudgery in farming activities (Chap. 4), the scope of work scheduling
and workrest cycles to mitigating drudgery and fatigue (Chap. 5), and human
dimensional and strength compatibility requirements in the design of farm tools and
machinery (Chap. 6).
Part III, Farm development, brings an analysis of the disparities of farm
mechanization in different geographical regions. Di scussion emphasizes the quan-
titative approaches in estimating the mechanization index and evaluating farm
mechanization (Chap. 7). Part IV, Health and safety, covers an analysis of world
scenario of farm accidents and injuries and accident prevention interventions
(Chap. 8), and the gamut of health hazards prevailing in farming (Chap. 9). The
cumulative health hazards arise due to the exposure to noise and vibration, climatic
stress, and dust emanates from crop and cropping. A special section elucidates the
issues of pesticide and chemical toxicity, including guidance on safety and health
(Chap. 10).
Part V, Ergonomics application in design, covers a summary of ergo-design
criteria for farm tools and machine ry (Chap. 11). Chapter 12 deals wi th the specic
application of ergonomics in the design of selected farm tools and equipment. The
examples include hand tools and manual- and power-operated farm machines that
are used by both men and women. Chapter 13 e xtends the application of ergo-
nomics principles in the design of the tractor and power tiller operators workplace.
In summ ary, Part V provides illustrations of the application of the anthropometric
and muscle strength data in the ergo-design of the workplace, farm tools, and
machinery of representative interest. The professionals can use the concept and
viii Preface
population-specic data in order to make the design of the farming devices more
human-centred, safe, comfortable, productive, and user-friendly. Part VI, Health
services in agriculture, is a composite account of the systems approach in occu-
pational health and safety (OHS) services and management (Chap. 14). The con-
tribution elucidates national, international, and sectoral OHSMS schemes and
models, including the basic occupational health services, for development and
adoption of OHS system in informal agriculture. A national-level model framework
of OHS management in agriculture is suggested.
The professionals of allied agricultural sciences, ergonomics and safety, and the
manufacturers of farm tools and machinery are welcome to suitably adopt and
amend the ergo-design criteria to reect conditions in particular farm machinery
design and development. Needless to reiterate, any modication of criteria may
require a thorough understanding of the interacting factors. Some guidance points
have moved up and down from basic principles to practical hints, within a chapter
and across chapters. This approach was intended to allow the smooth ow of
information for readers to comprehend the subject of study effectively and use in a
suitable intervention.
Communication among all concerned is a critical element in recognizing the
expectations and requirements of farmworkers and innovating farming practices.
A signicant body of emphasis on ergonomics and human factors application is
evident in sizeable mechanized farming in the West. The insights into
solution-oriented intervention, along with the objective assessment of farmworkers
perspectives, call for systematic data, which is scanty or at most at the embryonic
stage in developing countries. The All India Coordinated Research Project
(AICRP) on Ergonomics and Safety in Agriculture of the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) is a landmark initiative that spreads over 12 coop-
erating centres to research on ergonomics in agriculture. Similar federative
endeavour in other geographic regions will form a strong foundation for effective
ergonomics application.
Growth in agriculture will depend in large part on getting effective technologies
into the hands of farmers. An obvious priority is to bring greater awareness among
farmers and farmworkers, society, and governments about safety and health issues
in agriculture. The vast majority of farmworkers in small landholdings are not well
privileged to understand the research implications of ergonomics in agriculture, due
to their lack of resources as well as knowledge constraints. Often a country imports
farm machinery and technologies that are manufactured for user compatibility of
another country. Due to country-wise differences in anthropometric and physio-
logical parameters of people, many times, the technologies manufactured and found
successful in one country become a reason for increased injuries and health hazards
in another country. The concept of anthropotechnology put forward by Prof. Alain
Wisner of CNAM (Paris) emphasized attention in manufacturing machines and
exporting technologies to other countries.
The book evolves as an overview of agricultural ergonomics, and several
examples have been drawn from the data of Indian farming scenario explaining the
manmachine compatibility of the user population. Hope that this book serves as a
Preface ix
handy reference to those engaged in research, health and safety, teaching and
extension, designing and manufacturing, and policymaking on farming practices.
The young students, professionals, and local support givers to the farming com-
munity may nd an inspiration to reinvigorate the zeal for innovating better con-
ditions of work at the farming scenario. Different stakeholders will nd the book
useful in adopting anthropotechnology concepts in the ergo-design of farm
machinery and equipment. Aspiring that if even a tiny portion of the present
contribution is found useful in creating sustainable agriculture, the authors will feel
gratied and well repaid of their labour.
Kolkata, India P. K. Nag, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Bhopal, India L. P. Gite, M.Tech., Ph.D.
x Preface