Agricultural Implements

Table of Contents

• What are Agricultural Implements?
• Types of Agricultural Implements
• Agricultural Tools
• Traditional Tools

Agriculture is a labour-intensive process which cannot be done by hand. Therefore, it is necessary to use tools and machines to carry out agricultural processes. These are known as agricultural implements or agricultural tools.

Agricultural implements are tools which are required to carry out agricultural practices. There are a number of agricultural implements used in today’s farming activities. In general, these implements are of five major types.

Following are the different types of agricultural implements used by the farmers to facilitate easy production of crops:

Irrigation Machinery

It includes central pivot irrigation systems and pump units. It helps in the watering of crops at appropriate levels.

Soil Cultivation Implements

These are used to plough the soil and prepare it for cultivation. For eg., disk harrows, spike, drag, etc.

Planting Machines

These are used to plant seeds and saplings over a large land area after the cultivation of the soil. This is achieved using broadcast seeders, precision drills, air seeders, seed drills, transplanting equipment, etc.

Harvesting Implements

These implements are used to harvest matured crops. For eg., trailers, diggers, pickers, etc.

Other Agricultural Equipment

These are used in the final agricultural activities such as hay-making, loading, shredding, etc.

Agricultural tools such as sickle, plough, hoe, drills, etc. are implemented in agricultural activities to make the process more productive and efficient. There are a large number of agricultural tools used by farmers for cultivation.

Following are the different types of agricultural tools used in farming:

Plough

It is usually derived from wood and is pulled by two bulls. It has been used since ancient times for tiling, turning the soil and adding fertilizers. It consists of a long wooden log called ploughshaft. It has a strong triangular iron strip known as a ploughshare. The other end is connected to a beam that is then placed on the bull’s neck. However, the wooden ploughs are now substituted by iron ploughs and it is drawn by tractors.

Hoe

Hoe has been used since ancient times for cultivation purposes. It consists of a long rod of wood and is pulled by the animals. It is pulled by the animals and is used for loosening the soil and removing weeds. It has a strong, broad, bent plate of iron which works as a blade.

Cultivator

A plough attached to a tractor is called a cultivator. This reduces labour and saves time. It stirs the soil around the maturing crop to promote growth and destroy weeds.

Seed Drill

This is used for sowing seeds. This is done with the help of tractors. It makes sure that the seeds are sown at equal distances and depths and are covered with the soil. This allows plants to receive sufficient sunlight, nutrients, and water from the soil. This saves labour, and time and protects the seeds from being eaten by birds or other animals.

The traditional tool for sowing seeds is shaped like a funnel. The funnel is filled with seeds. The seeds are passed through two or three pipes with sharp ends. These ends enter the soil and the seeds are placed there. Sickle, spade, and axe are some of the traditional agricultural implements used by farmers. It is a labour and time-intensive agriculture practice.

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