Affiliations:
1Sustainable Agricultural Extension Study Program, Agricultural Development Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, Indonesia
2Agricultural Mechanization Technology Study Program, Agricultural Development Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, Indonesia
3Agricultural Extension Study Program, Jenderal Soedirman University, Purwokerto, Indonesia
The use of combine harvesters is important for replacing manual labor, speeding up the harvesting process, reducing postharvest losses, and lowering operational costs, thereby improving the effectiveness and efficiency of rice harvesting. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and conformity of combine harvesters under different field conditions and to develop strategies to increase their use in rice harvesting. The research was conducted from April to June 2025 in the Lelea, Kroya, and Cikedung subdistricts of Indramayu Regency, Indonesia. Performance tests were carried out on rice fields that were ready for harvest, and data were collected from 120 farmer respondents. A quantitative research approach was used, with data analyzed using descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that the combine harvester specifications conformed to Indonesian National Standard 8185:2019 by 91.67%. The operational efficiency of the combine harvesters was 63.57% in medium-depth fields and 68.11% in shallow fields. The average postharvest loss was 2.08 kg, including a header loss of 0.009% and a threshing loss of 0.001%. The PLS-SEM results indicated that government support, land and crop characteristics, and agricultural institutional support were the most significant factors influencing farmers’ effectiveness in using combine harvesters, together explaining 70.60% of the variance. Based on these findings, strategies were proposed to improve the utilization of combine harvesters by strengthening farmers’ effectiveness in Indramayu Regency.
Combine harvester performance, Rice harvesting efficiency, Postharvest losses, Farmer effectiveness, Agricultural mechanization
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.01.017
Rusmono, M., Wardani, I. K., Khotimah, A. H., & Erniati, E. (2026). Strategies for enhancing the implementation of combine harvesters in rice harvesting in Indramayu Regency, Indonesia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(1), 162–173. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.01.017