All You Need To Know About the Use of Tillage Equipment

Having a thorough knowledge about various range of tillage equipment available in the market and their proper use can make any farming business successful.

The ways farmers till the soil have not changed a lot over the past few decades, but the equipment they utilize have developed in significant ways. The use of tillage implements developed to cultivate fields has significantly refined tillage operations.

But for farmers, it is also necessary to figure out the right tool for the required tilling operations.
Farmers plough the soil to attain many outcomes, from preventing bugs in controlling weeds and insects or to make a seedbed for planting.  Other reasons why farmers till the soil include improving drainage capability, warming up or drying out in spring, before planting. Whatever is the reason there is a wide range of tillage equipment that are used to accomplish the desired outcome. This tillage equipment generally falls into two categories, primary and secondary. There is also some general equipment that can be used for both primary and secondary purposes. The most commonly used tillage equipment are mentioned here.

Plough

Different types of plough are used in farming operations as per the soil conditions. A disc plough works best for cutting, turning and break furrow slices in the soil by distinctly mounted large steel discs. It is created to reduce contact by giving it a rolling plough bottom in place of sliding plough bottom. A disc plough works better where an MB plough does not work efficiently in trashy soil conditions. A mould-board plough is designed to cut the furrow slices in the soil, raising and turning it and pulverizing.

Rotary Tiller or Rotavator

A Rotavator or rotary tiller is known and used as the secondary tillage equipment that works for a break, blend and aerate the soil so that the oxygen count increases in it making it better for seeding and harvesting. Rotavator is made by assembling a set of steel blades or rotors connected to the engine that breaks the soil when revolving. It works as tractor implement in modern farming practices.

Harrow

A disc harrow or disc harrow works as secondary tillage equipment and is used after the initial tilling work in the fields. The high-speed disc harrow smashes the clods in the soil, making it suitable for sowing and seeding while burying the organic weeds and leftover crops at the same time.

Although there much other equipment that is used in tilling the soil and varies as per the soil conditions. So before getting suitable equipment, it is important to understand for a farmer get thorough information about the equipment they are going to use.

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Most important Farm Machinery Used in Today’s Agriculture

Every farm machinery used in the agricultural fields has its own value and importance. Using the modern agricultural machinery available these days, made it is possible to accomplish the farming operations quickly with minimum efforts. This subsequentially opened ways for more productivity at farms and high quality of crops. Here we will talk about several most used farm machinery that is ruling the agriculture industry in present times.

​Tractor: A tractor is the primary piece of equipment used on the farms, for the toughest jobs of pulling heavy farm machinery. However, a lot more are done using it and this is why a tractor is the most versatile machinery used in agriculture. A farmer uses a tractor with tractor implements in various activities from ploughing, planting to harvesting.

Plough: A plough is used to prepare the soil before planting seeds. It turns the soil over eliminating waste vegetation and weeds. Various types of ploughs such as disc plough, chisel plough and moldboard plough are used in present farming practices depending upon the different types of tasks and soil.

Harrows: The main objective to use a harrow when preparing the soil is to break the clods of the soil to ease the plant growth. Different types of harrow, used in modern farming operations are high-speed disc harrow, heavy-duty hydraulic harrow, compact model disc harrow etc.

Fertilizer spreader: Different types of crop protection chemicals and fertilizers are used nowadays to protect crops from insects and pests. Fertilizer spreader or broadcast spreader, boom sprayer is the most common and popular fertilizer spreader and also used as seeders. Usage of such machinery helps farmer improving the quality of crops by spreading the fertilizers the right way.

Combine: Harvesting of various crops such as wheat, rice, pulses, soybean, and sunflower has become easier and efficient with the use of a combine harvester. A harvester machine or combine harvester cuts threshes them and then these are used for winnowing. The quality of the crops and grains harvested by a combine harvester is far better than the gains harvested manually.

Baler: A Baler is used as the post-harvest equipment to collect hay, straw and corn stalks. It puts them into a round baler or a square baler.

There is a lot more agricultural machinery used in modern farming practices. Using more and more farm machinery makes farming easy and profitable. Any farm can become efficient with the use of the right set of farm equipment. The wide variety of these advanced farm implements has doubled up the profit of farmers making agriculture processes easier and faster.

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Ploughing Efficiently with Different Ploughing Patterns

Tilling the soil before planting or land preparation is a quite expensive and critical operation for the success of the farming season. There are numerous patterns that are used for tilling the soil. Use of Tillage equipment depends on these different types of ploughing patterns.

The most important purpose of using various types of plough or tillage equipment is to reduce the number of turns and get the best out of the length of tillage rounds.

Ploughing patterns are decided on various factors such as

·        The use of the implement

·        Field levels for – headland, plains

·        Field shapes – long, narrow

·        Types of Soil

Different types of ploughing patterns are mentioned below

1.      Circuitous pattern –

·        This ploughing pattern is most commonly used in Asia.

·        In this type, farmers start ploughing from the outside edge of the field, towards the centre leaving a furrow in the middle.

·        The soil is thrown on the outside of the field. This is commonly done with disc plough, Mouldboard plough, offset disc plough.

2.      Headland Pattern –

(i)                 One way –

·        The ploughing is done in tracks parallel to each other, starting at one side of the boundary, ending at the opposite side of the field and turns made on the headlands.

·        This pattern is generally used in large fields and done by some specific tillage implements such as rotavators or rotary tillers, harrows and reversible MB plough.

·        This is one of the most efficient systems to plough the fields.

·        The tillage equipment should be correctly operated r set up so that it does not leave a furrow in the fields.

(ii)               Gathering –

·        In this type of pattern ploughing is started from the middle of the field and leaves a field level.

·        In this pattern, it is essential to have the right measurement of the field for deciding the centre point.

·        If done properly, it makes the soil smooth and ideal for planting, creating drainage passages on the edges.

·        Furrow parts are turned towards the middle of the field.

·        This pattern of ploughing can be done with any types of ploughs.

(iii)              Casting Pattern –

·        This pattern is quite the same as the gathering pattern but the ploughing is started at the edges.

·        Furrow parts are generally turned towards the edges of the land.

·        This types of the pattern can be used with all types of ploughs.

3.      Continuous Ploughing

·        This is considered the most economical and convenient ploughing pattern for normal soil conditions.

·        In this pattern, the headland is marked initially and the first point is established in the third quarter of the field width from the edge.

·        The other edges are at the complete width over the field.  Farmers start ploughing between the first edge and along with the side land.

·        Farmer continues to turn tractor left in the three quarters until the ploughing of a quarter of land width is completed on each side.

4.      Round and round ploughing

·        In this pattern the plough is used round and round of the field

·        This pattern is generally used in soil conditions where the ridges and furrows obstruct the tilling work.

·        There are two starting points in this.

(i)                 Centre Starting

·        A tiny part in the middle of the field is marked and ploughed first

·        And later, the ploughing is done round this tiny spot of the field until it is completed till the end.

·        This pattern is not very economical.

(ii)               Outer end Start

·        It is started with Tractor ploughing from the end moving on all the sides of a field and then gradually coming from the edges to the mid of the field.

·        This is one of the conventional ploughing methods.

(iii)              One way ploughing

·        This pattern is done with a specific type of plough known as a reversible plough.

·        A reversible plough turns furrows to the right or left.

·        The farmer plough along a straight side of the field

·        At the end of the first round, the farmer turns tractor in a loop and returns through the same furrow.

·        This pattern is most suitable for gently sloping fields.

An Overview of Cultivator

Cultivator

What is Cultivator?

A cultivator a type of agriculture equipment used to serve the purpose of secondary tillage, soil preparation machine. As its name suggests, It consists of an arrangement of teeth also known as shanks mounted on frame body, penetrate the soil as they are pulled through it linearly. You can also consider it to a machine that use the rotary movement of disks or shanks to accomplish a related result.

What are the types of Cultivator?

Based on use, types of cultivator can be divided into two categories Industrial use and Garden cultivators. 

A. Garden cultivators 

Garden cultivators are generally small tilling machine, used in small plots such as household gardens and small industrial gardens, can provide both basic and secondary tillage. For example, a rotary tiller, Rototiller, Rotavator, Two-wheel tractor, Mini Tiller etc.

B. Industrial Cultivators/Tiller 

If we talk about the Industrial cultivators then these types of Cultivators or tiller usually powered by tractors, used as a tractor attachment. Industrial cultivators can vary in size and shape, from 10 feet to 80 feet wide. 

Here is the list of the cultivators used in Farming.

1. Multi-Row Tiller/Cultivators

Farm equipment multi-row cultivator is employed for precise cutting and aeration of the clay, which addresses the soil further fine for better plantation.

2. Double Coil Tyne Tiller/Cultivators

One of the best advantage of double coil tyne tiller early crop residue/weed almost never gets entangled with tyne while ploughing. In this farm equipment, all tynes are adjustable. 

3. Dabangg Cultivator/Tiller

This types of cultivator designed for the hard soils can provide depth up to 7" to 9" in hard soil. The best part of this machine is tynes are adjustable

4. Heavy Duty Type Cultivator/Tiller

Heavy Duty Type Cultivator or tiller suitable for use in stone and root obstructed soil, composed for most intricate operations. Prepare seedbeds swiftly and economically.

5. Heavy Duty Rigid Type Cultivator/Tiller

Heavy Duty Rigid Type Cultivator designed to face the toughest work situations of hard black soils.

6. Spring Loaded Cultivators/Tiller

This type of cultivator designed for light and medium soils. Spring-loaded cultivators prepare seedbeds quickly and economically.

7. Extra Heavy Duty Tiller/Cultivators

Extra Heavy Duty Tiller suitable for use in rock and root blocked soil. farmers use it for the toughest operations.

8. Medium Duty Tiller/Cultivators

This type of tiller is best for use in stone and root obstructed soil. Fit for light and medium soil conditions.

9. Tyne Ridger Cultivators

This equipment consists of a heavy-duty box type frame which produces ridge with a maximum width of 900 mm. This equipment is useful for plantation of vegetable, sugarcane etc.

Hope now you get the idea of agricultural machinery cultivators and its type. Know more about cultivator here.

Plough Overview - Types and Uses

A plough is a piece of agricultural machinery used to till the soil in farming and its use has indeed reshaped the lives of farmers. Plough, is the primary tillage equipment one of the most important machinery used in agriculture from the beginning of farming in ancient times. The key purpose of this farm equipment is to turn and break up the upper layer of the soil, to bury weeds or previous crop remains, and to increase the water observant capacity of the soil.

With the invention of the plough, farmers were able to plant crops even on hard and rocky soil. Traditionally farmers used to till the land manually by a plough made of wood and iron, which later became considerably efficient as human used animals to pull it in the fields. And in the modern times' plough is used as a tractor implement pulled by a tractor and also have various modified models and types. Few are mentioned below

Types of Plough

These are several types of a plough, used in modern agriculture practices for different types of soil conditions.

· Disc Plough

· Mould Board Plough or MB plough

· Reversible Mould Board Plough

· Reversible Manual Plough

· Jumbo Fixed Mould Board Plough

· Mounted Mould Board Plough

Key Functions or Uses of Plough

· Plough is mainly used for turning up and mixing the soil

· For adding fertilizers to the soil

· Scraping the upper layer of the soil

· To bury old crop residues

· Kill the weeds by digging up their roots

· Makes ways for water absorption in the soil

· Makes soil full of nutrients by exposing it to sun and air.

These are just a few to mention, however, many other facts also must be considered to completely understand the significance of plough in modern agriculture practices.

Agricultural Machinery That Should Be In Your Farm Fleet

As we all aware of the fact that Farming a hard work and needed a tough, realistic approach. To be a successful farmer you need machines and tools that can do the job that needed to be done.

Different type of farm machinery used to help on the farmland to complete tasks. These types of agriculture machine and equipment used in land predation, seeding & planting, crop protection, harvesting & post-harvesting etc works.

Here we made a list that should be in your bucket list to make farming easy for you. 

Combine

Combine Machine is a unique solution for all harvesting tasks like reaping, threshing, and winnowing crops. In previous days a combine harvester was capable to harvest only single type of crop but thanks to new technology and farm mechanization multi-crop combine harvester introduced which can harvest crops like rice, wheat maze sugarcane, and others. Today harvester is one of the most economically important labor-saving machines in the agriculture sector. 

Here know more about combine harvester

Tractor

A farm tractor versatile agriculture machinery that is so common that every farmer has in their farmyard. Nearly every farm implements are used with a tractor as an attachment. It comes small sizes to very big sizes and you can choose as per your farming needs. 

Here know more about tractors

Rotavator or Rotary Tiller

If you want to complete the seedbed preparation task in time then rotavator can help you with that. It is own kind of farm machine that used to break up, churn and aerate the soil. Rotavator or rotary tiller use in place of the disc harrow, cultivator, and leveler.

Here know more about rotavator

Plough

Plough fall into the list of primary tillage device and it is being used form the ancient times. An agriculture plough is used in the soil preparation for sowing seed or planting. On behalf of its use, it comes in many varieties like MB plough, disc plough, reversible Mould Board Plough etc. 

Here know more about Plough

Leveler or Land Leveler

After ploughing a field to prepare a fine seedbed a surface leveler used. Leveler is a tractor drive equipment used for leveing the surface of land also uses to maintain water into the soil.

Here know more about leveler

Fertilizer Spreader

A fertilizer spreader comes handy to use spread fertilizer at a fine distance. It helps spread pesticides evenly all over the plants and field. 

Here know more about fertilizer spreader 

Disc Harrow

A disc harrow primary tillage machine used to turn the soil where crops are to be planted. Disc harrow best used for preparing a fine seedbed. A disc harrow helps farmers to control weed and crop remainders. 

Here know more about disc harrow

Baler Machine

Baler machine plays a vital role for those who also involve themselves in cattle farming. Tractor baler a type of post-harvest agriculture machine that use to store hay, flax straw etc into compact bales that enable farmers to manage, transport hay simple way.

Here know more about baler machine

Tractor Trailer

When a farmer wants to transport his goods from one location to another then a tractor trailer comes as a lifesaver. It is very much popular and comes in the essential equipment list of a farmer. If we talk about its type then there are hydraulic trailers like a non-tipping trailer and 3-way tipping tractor trailer. 

Here know more about tractor trailer

Hope now you get the idea of agriculture machinery and implements that used in agriculture works.