Tools Used In Agriculture 5s4m2q

TOOLS USED IN AGRICULTURE Tractors o

There are many types of tractors ranging from small to large, and they are used for a variety of agricultural applications. A garden tractor, also known as a riding lawnmower, is smaller than the typical tractor, and is used for cutting grass. A compact utility tractor is a medium-sized tractor used for landscaping. You can attach a plow, disk or brush-hog to this type of tractor. Larger tractors such as backhoes and bulldozers are usually used for construction and digging and can also be used for pulling.

Irrigation Systems o

The use of irrigation systems in agriculture has provided many people with the opportunity to grow crops where they otherwise couldn't have, because of the lack of rainfall. There are many types of these systems including surface irrigation, which is normally used on large farms for products like cotton and wheat. In this common method, the field is flooded, letting gravity distribute the water. A center-pivot irrigation system is comprised of large pipes that are high above ground. The system spreads across the field and pivots, watering the crops. A smaller irrigation system can be used for yards, such as a sprinkler.

Hand Tools o

There are many jobs in agriculture that require the use of hand tools. A spade, commonly used in gardens, is good for digging because of the flat, sharp shape. A rake, usually with a long handle and a finger-like base, is used in gardening and clean-up. A shovel allows you can scoop and carry because of the size and shape of the base. A hand-held, fertilizing sprayer can be used to fertilize crops in specific areas. To build fences, many people use a post-hole digger, which allows you to dig a large hole for a large post. A t-post driver is also commonly used, which is a heavy, hand-held, metal tool that drives thin, metal posts into the ground. Slick wire, barbwire, or electric wire can be attached to the t-post and used as a barrier fence.

Hoes A hoe is identified by its long, circular handle with a thin, slightly ridged square of metal at the end. It is used to break apart the soil around a weed so it can be removed easily. Trowels

A hand trowel is a miniature version of a hoe, but with a much smaller handle and a triangular piece of metal attached. Because delicate plants will require some gentle attention, a trowel can be used to extract weeds instead of whacking away at the area with a hoe. They can also be used to pack dirt over seeds during planting. Pitchforks

A pitchfork looks like a huge version of a dinner fork. It has long prongs attached to a long, circular handle. It is used to mix up the soil and expose the darker, more nutrient-rich soil.

Rakes

Rakes work a lot like pitchforks in that they can turn over soil so that plants can get more nutrients. The difference is that the prongs on a rake create a right angle next to the handle, whereas a pitchfork is only slightly curved. Shears

Shears are large scissors that farmers and gardeners use to prune their plants. They can be used to cut off dead or dying portions to save the healthy part of the plant. Carts

Carts generally have two wheels and are more easily maneuvered than wagons. They can be attached to horses or simply pulled by the farmer to move large amounts of fruit or produce during the harvest.

Planter 

The planter is an automatic seeding device towed behind a tractor. A planter automatically creates furrows and sows seeds. A farmer loads the planter with seeds and drags the tool across a field. As the planter moves, it cuts soil and lays seeds in evenly spaced rows. Transplanter

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The transplanter automatically creates planting holes and plants seedlings. Like the planter, this tool is towed across a field behind a tractor. The transplanter allows a farmer to quickly transplant large quantities of mature seedlings. Electronic Planting Equipment

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The modern farmer employs various electronic devices to control and monitor the planting process. Most electronic planting devices control the functions of tractor attachments, such as seeders. Seed-monitoring equipment and software allow the farmer to control the rate and spacing of seed distribution with great accuracy. Trowel

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The trowel, also called the garden spade, is a traditional digging tool used to cultivate soil and create holes for planting. The spade looks like a small, single-handed shovel. A gardener or farmer plunges the tool's blade into the ground and turns or removes soil. Depressions created by a trowel can be used to plant seeds or mature seedlings.

Seeders 

There are several different types of seeders used to spread seeds into the ground. The types of seeders used will depend on the type of soil, type of plant and land area. Disc seeders are used on clay and clay loam soils. These are known as once-over seeders; they place the seed in the ground very fast, and only one on the field is needed. Double-disc seeders are used when the seed needs to be placed very accurately into the soil. It is not suitable for hard soils, as tillage is needed before using the double-disc seeder. A double-disc press drill is like a double-disc drill with the addition of press wheels. The press wheel will pack the soil over the seed once it has been placed in the ground. Cultivator seeders are also known as air seeders and use a stream of air to place the seed onto the field.

Threshers 

There are several different types of threshers as these machines are classified based on how the crop is fed through the machine. A feeding type in which only a part of the crop is fed into the machine allows for the straw to remain intact but has a low throughput. A crop flow thresher moves the crop through the thresher, where it is separated from the straw by being crushed between a drum and outer casing. Threshing elements, or the drum in the center of the thresher, can have rasp bars, peg teeth or wire loops attached.

Irrigation

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There are several different machines that can be used for irrigation on the farm. Sprayers, pumps and tubing are used. Irrigation water will require pumps to transfer the water through the system to the desired field. There are several types of sprinkler systems to provide water for irrigation. These sprinklers can be fixed in place or portable, normally towers on wheels that carry the sprinkler system to different fields. Watering cans can even be used for smaller farm land where manual irrigation is used.

Tractors 

Tractors are used for towing, drawing and pulling heavy objects and other pieces of farm machinery, such as tillers. There are many different types of tractors, as specific tractors were designed for specific jobs. The compact utility tractor is used for land management and landscaping.

The backhoe loader has many uses, though it has a loader assembly on the front and a backhoe on the back. This tractor can be used for loading trucks, construction, digging and tasks that require very precise control. Garden tractors are small types of agricultural tractors that are used to cut grass or for tilling, fertilizing and other tasks.