Multipurpose toolbar

A multipurpose toolbar in an acessory to a tractor or a stand alone equippment where a variety of agricultural implements (for instance: chisel plow, moldboard plow, disc plow harrow, subsoiler, cultivator...)can be attached in a fast and easy way.

A toolbar was initialy developed for animal traction, and is a different concept from the standard three point tractor mont. This idea was highly researched from the sixties to the eighties, but was not widely accepted by the farmers in low developed countries, mainly because of the costs. The OSE approach can help overcome this and other limitations of this equipment.

Basic requeriments:

basic requirements for an “Open Source Multipurpose Toolbar”:

1-It should effectively reduce time and effort in soil preparation, planting and associated chores, compared with the use of traditional small scale farm tools (hoe, spade, ard etc)

2- It needs to be affordable for a peasant farmer family

3- It needs to be simple to build with local materials and minimal tools

4- It needs to be simple to operate, maintain and repair in the field

5- It needs to operate where space is scarce for maneuver and storage

6- It should be compatible with a variety of draft sources: animal power, walk behind tractors (MicroTrac!), small tractors (LifeTrac!), ATVs, 4WDs, winch systems and others available.

7- It should Be stackable, to permit the simultaneous use of more than one tool, to perform a series of agricultural operations in a single pass

External Links and References
Tools for Agriculture: A Buyer’s Guide to Appropriate Equipment,, ITDG, 1985, 1992:, PP 45 - "Multipurpose toolbars " (http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/JF/417/06-256.pdf)

Dibble Sticks, Donkeys, and Diesels: Machines in Crop Production, by Joseph Campbell, available from IRRI Publications, P.O. Box 933, Manila, Philippines: pp 313 - "Multipurpose machines" (http://nue.okstate.edu/Hand_Planter/DDA.pdf)

The Anmal-Drawn Wheeled Tool Carrier: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid TropicsInformation Bulletin No. 8(Revised February 1983)(http://dspace.icrisat.ac.in/dspace/bitstream/10731/916/1/RA%2000062.pdf) or (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABE297.pdf)

Small Farm Equipment for Developing Countries: (http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/JF/417/06-290.pdf)

American Farm Tools, by R.D. Hurt, 1982: (http://www.zetatalk9.com/docs/Tools_Farming/American_Farm_Tools_1909.pdf)

Farm Implements for Arid and Tropical Regions, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Development Paper No. 91 by H. Hopfen, 2nd edition 1979: (http://www.zetatalk3.com/docs/Tools_Farming/Farm_Implements_For_Arid_And_Tropical_Regions_1969.pdf)

Agricultural Tools: comprehensive review of published material about mechanization in agriculture:(http://villageearth.org/appropriate-technology/appropriate-technology-sourcebook/agricultural-tools) or (http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/JF/JF_OTHER/SMALL/Agricultural%20Tools.pdf)