La mecanización del agro en Uruguay 1908-2010, aplicación de un modelo logístico para medir su trayectoria

The aim of this paper is to study the process of diffusion of the tractor in Uruguay, tracking its regional variation. For this purpose, it presents an indicator of the mechanization of agriculture in the 19 departamentos (or provinces) of Uruguay in the long term (1908-2010). From a characterization of the number of tractors in use and the evolution of this indicator, a logistic model is applied to determine the dynamics of adoption and diffusion of this technology. The introduction of the tractor constituted a milestone in the process of mechanization. It was a dynamic process that presents features associated with the nature and evolution of technological change. First, the introduction of the tractor in Uruguayan agriculture responded to a process of slow adoption and substitution of other techniques. This was the first stage of learning, that then spread quickly in agriculture farms, which received advantages in terms of efficiency and reduction of costs. Finally, the process reached a period of saturation that coincides with the emergence of new production techniques which, gradually, replaced those already in use. Secondly, it is noted that technological dynamics had regional variations, showing a greater strength in the regions that make intensive use of the land factor and that, in general, are associated with crop production. It is a process that depends on local characteristics and on past technological innovation and technical change.