Land Preparation Tools
Land Preparation is the first step of any commercial farming. It includes cleaning of land, removing large stones, burning previous crops stubble, levelling, reclamation, making ridges, furrows, planking and Many More. This step is labour intensive and costly. For this, we use different land preparation tools. In traditional farming methods, people use muscle power and it takes more time to do less work. But, Especially after the green revolution, Use of different farming tools peaked.
At present, Engineers have made many Land Preparation Tools that are easy to use, portable and they are making the farm production higher. Let’s have a look at some of them.
1. Cultivator
It is the most used and important tool of land preparation. It is used to plough the land, pulverize soil, remove weeds and overturn topsoil. It is connected with a tractor and runs throughout the field. Cultivator is used for secondary tillage and it doesn’t disturb the soil like a harrower.
2. Disc Harrower
This tool contains a large disc in single row as well in double row (Double Disc Harrower). It is used to plough land, make soil very pulverized, for cutting of unwanted weeds and also for puddling as rice plant transplantation. In general, the diameter of the disc is 60 cm.
3. Rotavator
Rotavator contains a blade which rotates and ploughs the land. This tool is used for secondary tillage. Rotavator is a cost-effective tool for replacing cultivators, disc harrows, and levellers. It is one of the most used tools in Agriculture. It is used in fields where seeds are to be sown by broadcast method.
4. Cultipacker
It is used to break clods, reduce air pockets, press the small stones. It makes the seed bed smooth. Sometimes, it is also used to improve the soil-seed contact in sowing methods like broadcasting.
5. Tractor
Tractor is a large vehicle which is used in many agricultural works. The tools for land preparation are attached with a tractor which makes them work. It is used to make Cultivator, Harrower, Leveller, Rotavator working. There are two types, One is a large four wheeler and another is with two wheels called a motocultor.
6. Rototiller
It is also called a hand tractor. The spinning blades are attached at front which plough the land and make the soil pulverized. It is cheap.
7. Jab Planter
Jab Planter is a mechanical tool that is used to sow seeds especially for maize. It is handy, easy, helps to maintain seed rate and spacing. The seeds are put inside it. When a person punch it in soil, then it automatically sow and cover the seeds. It is convenient for sowing seeds in ridges already covered with plastic mulch.
8. Drill
A drill in agriculture is used to sow seeds. It is a land preparation tool that sow seeds at desired depth and cover it with soil in efficient manner. It also maintains proper seed rate.
9. Plough
It is an old tool that has been used for many years. It is operated with the help of animal power like Bull, Donkey, Horse and Make Buffalo. It contains a long wooden log which is connected with a metal piece at one one end. When animals like cattle pull the plough, the metal cuts the soil and makes furrows for seed sowing.
10. Leveler
As the name indicates, It is used to level the field. The agricultural land which is slope cannot distribute the water properly no matter which method of irrigation you use. Therefore, Levelling is done which makes our work effective.
11. Wheelbarrow
It is used to transport materials from one place to another. It contains a wheel which makes our work easier and faster.
12. Rake
A rake is a hand operated land preparation tool that contains a long handle with a comb like toothed bar at one end. It is used to collect hay, leaves and also to make soil loose.
13. Shovel
We all know shovels. It is used to lift bulk soil, sand, stones and in making pits. It is also used in soil sampling.
14. Hoe
This tool is commonly used for land preparation and other intercultural practices. It is especially used to remove the weeds, piling up the soil, create small furrows for seed sowing, shape soil, remove weeds, clear soil, and harvest root crops.
15. Hand Cultivator
It also contains small teeths and is especially used in gardening for making seed beds. It is handy and easy to use. It is also used to make soil loose which improves the aeration.
16. Trowel
It is another handy land preparation tool which is especially used in gardening. It is used to loosen soil, remove weeds, to level seed beds and mix the soil and manure like vermicompost.
17. Ridger
Ridger is used to make ridges for row crops like Banana, Vegetables, Pineapple Farming. It makes alternate ridges and furrows by cutting the soil and turning it into opposite direction. Ridges are placed to plant while the furrow acts as an irrigation channel. It is used at final land preparation after primary tillage, secondary tillage and land leveling when land contains slight moisture.
Thus – These were the most commonly used land Preparation Tools.