Agricultural Implements - Types, Advantages, Overview

Agriculture is a large-scale process which cannot be done by hand and it requires a lot of machines and tools in each and every process. There are different agricultural implements or tools which are used for different functions and these tools play a vital role in the modern days. These tools are used to make the task simple and easy without much work. The world today prefers these tools more as everyone chooses to do the tasks within a less time and also with less risk. These tools are mostly used in countries where a large number of the population is dependent on farming. Without these implements it is impossible to fulfill the rising demand of individuals. Agriculture implements are used to carry out a labour intensive process of agriculture. This leads to the decrease of physical labour required to work on fields. By these agricultural methods organic and non-organic farming practices are also made possible. The invention of tools and usage of implements started with the emergence of the tractor at the end of the 18th century.

Types of agricultural implements

The agricultural implements are classified into different types as shown below.

1) Irrigation Machinery: This machinery includes pumps and central pivot irrigation systems. These tools are mainly used for watering the plants based on their requirement and also to the appropriate level.

2) Soil cultivation implements: These are used for ploughing the soil and making it ready for the cultivation. The tools used for cultivation are disk harrows, drag, spike, etc.

3) planting machines: This includes tools like air seeders, transplanting tools, seed drills, precision drills, etc. These are mainly used for planting the seeds and saplings in the field.

4) Harvesting implements: These tools are used for harvesting the crops that are matured and are ready to harvest. The tools that are used for harvesting are trailers, diggers, harvesters, pickers, etc.

Agricultural tools

There are many agricultural tools as described below.

• Plough: It is a tool which is made of wood and dragged by two bulls. It is used for tiling, stirring the soil, for adding fertilisers and it is used from ancient days. It is made of a plough shaft that is a long wooden log. It has a ploughshare which is a strong triangular iron core. The other end is connected to a beam and is placed on a bulls neck.

• Hoe: It is a tool that is used for cultivation purposes which consists of a long rod of wood and it is pulled by the animals. It has a strong bent plate which is made of iron and acts like a blade. It is mainly used for loosening the soil and removal of weeds.

• Cultivator: It is a plough that is connected to a tractor. This is used for covering the plant with the soil around and used for the development of crops. This tool reduces the labour for the cultivation.

• seed drill: Seed drill main function is to sow the seeds in the soil and it is done with the help of a tractor. It also makes sure that the seeds are sowed with an equal distance and in an order so that they cannot be disturbed by other plants beside it after growing to some height.

• Traditional tools: It is a funnel shaped tool that is used for planting the seeds. The seeds are sent through a funnel with two or three end pipes. These pipes are placed into the soil and seeds are sowed into the soil.

Benefits of agricultural tools

The main benefits of agricultural implements are:

• Reduces the cost

• Increases the profit

• Act as substitutes for labours

• Improvements in agriculture techniques

• Reduces the time of work

• Better production

• Human labour has dropped by a greater factor

• More efficient development

• These implements are once in a lifetime

• Increases the total earnings

• Leads o the expansion of agriculture enterprises