1. Role and use of improved agricultural implements in drylands

Transcript

Hi friends, in the previous lectures we studied about the theoretical and practical aspects concerned to rainfed drylands. All you know that in drylands, the availability of moisture is critical and it is for only a limited period of time. But within the moisture available period, we have to carry out the field operations. So what is the way out. So in this context farm mechanization in dryland agriculture plays a major role. What’s the farm mechanization? Farm mechanization means use of improved farm implements, so as to cut down the time in performing tillage operations and also to avoid post-harvest losses. The present lecture has been devised on role and use of improved implements in dryland agriculture.

As you all know the timeliness of farm operations is the key to achieve higher production and to avoid post-harvest losses in rainfed agriculture. As you all know the availability of moisture is only for a smaller period, and as such the timeliness of performing the operations is very much essential. And if you see the harvest operations. These harvest operations have to be carried out in time, so as to avoid post-harvest losses. So the time available to carry out field operations is limited and critical for higher production. And the farmers usually, they are using indigenous implements. But the indigenous implements, the working conditions and the level of energy available for to use the indigenous implements is very less. So the efficiency in performing operations is very less. So we have to use the improved implements in dryland agriculture. So improved implements are the essential components of the dryland production systems, so as to have the; to perform the operations in a right time and in a right place.

Important Farm Operations for Drylands

Let us see what are the tillage operations, what are the important operations that are being carried out in dryland agriculture.

• One is tillage and seedbed preparation
• Seeding and fertilization
• Weeding and inter-cultivation
• Plant protection
• Harvesting
• And threshing

So these are the important farm operations for drylands. So we shall see what are the improved implements available to perform these operations. Now coming to the tillage implements. It is very much important to prepare for the good seedbed, so as to raise a successful crop establishment. So mould board plough. This plough cuts and inverts the soil and stubbles in the form of slices. Weeds and other crop residues are completely buried. It does not leave uncut soil between the adjacent furrows. What it does? It cuts and inverts the soil slices, and also it uproots the roots, and also it does not leave in between the furrows; no space will not be left by this implement.

Tillage Implements

You can see this in the picture.

• So this is a mould board plough. So it cuts and inverts the soil into slices.
• The next one is disc harrow. Unlike a mould board plough, wherein the soil is put into slices, but here the disc harrow is having riding type of implement, suitable for seedbed preparation, in case of light soils, 2 to 3 operations will make a good seedbed. And in case of hard soils, the disc harrow does not penetrate easily in its first operation. The first operation by mould board plough followed by disc harrow saves time and labor for seedbed preparation by 15-20%. So disc harrow is a riding type of implement which works in the soil. But as far as red soils are concerned it is very easy to work with this implement. Even with 2 to 3 operations it will make a very good seedbed. But in case of black soils it is very difficult to work with this implement. But we can have this implement with some modification, that is first it will be ploughed by mould board plough, and then by disc plough. In this way soil can be easily worked out. Coming to the disc harrow. This is a disc harrow. You can see the photos. In this it is riding type of implement as you can see from this picture.
• Then coming to the chisel plough. This is one another type of plough, wherein it rips through the soil with a narrow chisel. It breaks the hard layer of soil just below the plough depth. The rainwater is made to infiltrate in the soil by using this implement. The chisel plough is having small chisels and it is very much used to break the soil, below the soil plough depth. It is very important that when the soil becomes hard below the plough depth, this chisel plough is used as a special implement to break that hard disc. So it makes. The rainwater is made to infiltrate in the soil by using this implement. When it cuts open the hard layer, below the plough soil depth, the water or the moisture can easily enter into the soil. So infiltration is better improved. So this is the chisel plough as you can see in the picture. It is having a small chisel like this. So it is having, the number of chisels having will vary. And it make a small cut to break open the hard layer below the plough depth.
• Coming to the bund former, another implement. This is used for making bunds after sowing, to check the water in the fields. Forms bunds by gathering upper layer of the soil. The shape and size of the bunds can be controlled by changing the angle of wings which gather the soil. As the name indicates, this implement is used for making bunds. What it does? It gathers soil only from the top layer and it makes the bund. The size and the angle of the bunds can be variable by adjusting the blades which have been attached with this implement. You can see this. This is the wings which have been attached to this implement. By varying the width and also length we can shape different size of bunds.
• Coming to the another implement. Ridger. It is used for making drainage channels, mainly and the border ridges. In 2 to 3 passes it can pass, it can make a ditch up to a depth of 30 centimeter. And the water movement can be eased by the use of this implement. The ridger is used for making ridges, that means it is used for making water channels, where the provision is being made to allow the water easily. So this can penetrate up to a depth of 30 centimeter. You can see this. So these are the ridger and it is having a fork; the plates and it can maintain the water channels or the drainage channels. The size can be varied depending upon maintaining the width.

So with this we have to have tillage implements to have efficiency of performing operations. In order to take full advantage of annual precipitation in dryland agriculture, higher doses of energy input is essential. What do you mean by higher doses of energy? It is higher doses of energy means, with the higher power source the tillage implements have been used. When you use higher sources of power implements, the efficiency of performing operations in the field will be very good. Secondly the tillage machines of appropriate size and type, matching the power sources need to be used. The tillage machines of various sizes should be used according to the power sources available. So in this way the tillage operations can be performed, with greater efficiency by choosing the right type of implement and with a right type of power source. So with this I closing this lecture.

Thank You.