| Abstract | This study was carried out for Mutobo, Ntenyo and Gabiro districts in the North, Center and East of Rwanda in Africa to analyze the present mechanization status and to simulate its potential across varying topographical conditions in this central African country using GIS techniques. Mutobo, Ntenyo and Gabiro districts represented higher, medium and lower altitude at 2200, 1600 and 1 100 m AMSL. the mountains, the central plateau and plain regions of the country. Ninety-seven, eighty eight and eighty two farmers were surveyed from Mutobo, Ntenyo and Gabiro district from July to December 2005. Social economic factors and inherent soil and climatic factors affecting agricultural productivity susceptible to influence the mechanization process were studied. GIS maps for land productivity and individual and combined crop mechanization patterns under classified mechanization levels were created and potential mechanization assessment for individual district was done. The present level of mechanization was found to be low with most agricultural work being performed manually using traditional hand tools in all the three districts, smaller mean plot area 0.83, 0.93 and 1.78 ha in Ntenyo, Mutobo and Gabiro district, along with high land fragmentation were found to be key hindrances to effectively mechanize. Good soil quality, sufficient rainfall, productive land, sufficient amount of cattle for a dynamic population (60% HH head aged below 50) with sufficient literacy (64% primary and 11% secondary), were seen as keys factors for possible mechanization in study areas with highest potential in Gabiro District. The FAO (1984) slope criterion was used to optimize land for different forms of power source in the three districts. Slope, soil texture, soil fertility, soils depth and climate classes were combined with the crop mechanization patterns and productivity levels for each district to obtain the potential mechanization zones. French bean was found to be the most common crop in all three districts covering 33%, 22% and 21% of cropped area in Mutobo, Gabiro and Ntenyo respectively. Other important crops in Mutobo were Irish potato, sweet potato, banana and wheat in a decreasing order, in Gabiro: -maize, sorghum, cassava and ground nut; in Ntenyo important crops were cassava (31%), sweet potato (22%), followed by banana, rice and sorghum. High mechanization potential was found for 39% and 6% of total areas in Gabiro and Ntenyo districts respectively, while a medium profile was found common to all three districts, 75%, 53% and 47% of total area in Mutobo, Ntenyo and Gabiro respectively. Labor shortage was found common in Gabiro and Ntenyo with no labors frequency of 28%. Majority of farmers (62%) wished for heavier activities like tillage transferred to other source of power and threshing (22%) |