Meaning of Farm Implements
Farm implements are farm machine accessories that are usually added or hitched to a tractor and harvester to perform various tasks around the farm or the surroundings.
Similarly, farm implements also refer to devices that are attached or connected to farm machines to perform specific operations on the farm. These implements are usually hooked to farm machinery like tractors and harvesters to accomplish specific tasks.
Both farm implements and machines cannot be used individually, they are usually manufactured in such a way that they are used together. Without one the the other will not function effectively.
Various types of implements are manufactured along with the tractor and harvester to achieve a specific purpose. Advancements in the agricultural industry today are based on the versatility of these equipment or implements.
The traditional tools such as cutlass, holes, spades, and axes, with the use of manual labor, and animal power in the farming industries have led to poor yields, time consumption, tiredness, and have exposed man and animals to pests and disease attacks which have reduced their potency.
However, tractor-mounted Implements have made farming pleasurable and enjoyable leading to an increase in yields, the cultivation of large expanses of land within a short time, and improved crop production.
Different equipment in the agricultural industries are used to perform various farming activities. Some are used for breaking the soil cloud, tilling the soil into fine tilt, planting, and slashing, while others are used for spraying and making a ridge.
Farm Implements when mounted, hooked, or hitched onto the machines allow the machine to be used for performing different types of activities on the farm.
Implements whether attached to the farm animals like horses, donkeys, tractors, and harvester are usually pulled or pushed to perform determined operations.
They are durable, save costs of purchasing new implements, and are cheaper to maintain than farm machinery. Whenever the farm machine breaks down, the implements are detached and mounted to another machine.
That is to say that farm implements enable the farmer to have different machines for performing various tasks without purchasing different machines for this implement.
Importance of Farm Implements
The roles of farm implements in the farming industries cannot be underestimated. This technological advancement in agriculture has brought changes to ease farmers’ stress of using traditional tools that lead to poor food productivity, increased cost of production, and wasted time.
Some of the importance of farm implements in agriculture are discussed below.
Increases Yield of Crops
The use of advanced implements such as plough, rigders, and cultivators increases the yield of crops. Crops planted on the plough, harrow, and ridge soil give higher yields than planting on the flat.
The use of these implements in soil manipulation can significantly hinder the growth of weeds during the early stage of crops, which aids crop growth and development.
Tilled, horrow and ridge soil increase the rate of aeration in the soil which is necessary for an increase in the yield of crops.
Reduce or Eliminate Human Drudgery in Farm Work
The use of farm implements in agricultural industries is said to reduce the monotonous nature of farm work compared to simple farm tools and work animals such as donkeys in ploughing, ridging, spraying, and planting.
Traditional tillage systems are highly demanding and discouraging. However, the use of tractor-coupled implements on the farm has eliminated the use of human effort in performing determined operations on the farm.
These farm implements have completely replaced manual and animal labor in developed countries. Farming operations that are usually performed by hand can now be effectively and efficiently performed by tractor-mounted implements.
Save time and Quicken Farming Operations
The use of farm implements in agriculture helps to save time in performing various farming tasks. Spraying and application of fertilizer and herbicide on the farm can be effectively be executed within a short time and less energy-consuming.
More so, seed planting and tilling of the soil is more time-consuming with the use of traditional farm tools. However, modern farm implements make work faster and easier, and a large expanse of land is easily covered within a short time.
Large Areas of Land can be Easily Cultivated
Farm implements such as plough, ridgers, harrows, and sprayers are more efficient and effective in cultivating large expanses of land in agriculture compared to simple farm tools and farm animals.
Using tractors coupled implements, can also make the tilling and cultivating of large acres or hectares of farmland possible and more effortless.
Reduction in the Cost of Production Per Unit Are
Using simple farm tools in working and cultivating large areas of land will lead to an increase in the cost of production compared to using tractor-hitched implements on the farm.
This is because with the use of this instrument large areas of farmland can be cultivated per unit area.
An Increase in the Production of Large Quantities of Food
Since it involves farm machines, implements attached to these machines are highly effective in increasing food production.
With these implements, farmers can cultivate, maintain, and harvest large areas of land within a short time, and as a result of this, it becomes possible to produce large quantities of food within a specific period.
Farm Implements picture
Types of Farm Implements
Farm implements are usually mounted to the tractor and other farm machines to perform various farm activities on the farm.
According to the West Africa Examination Council (2012), some types of farm implements used in improving farming processes are:
- Plough
- Harrow
- Planter/seed drill
- Slasher/ mower
- Baler
- Cultivator
- Broadcaster (seed/fertilizer spreader)
- Boom sprayers
- Combined drill
- Ridger
The plough
The plough is usually referred to as the primary tillage implement used in the preparation of the soil to receive seed. It is one of the most critical and versatile implements in the agricultural industry.
In every commercial farm, the plough is usually available, and It is used for breaking and turning the soil to form lumps or clods.
The plough is an implement hitched to a tractor to perform specific farming activities. It helps to break up the soil, remove weeds, and prepare the ground for planting. The modern plough is made of a metal beam and disc which aid soil manipulation.
The tractor and plough are crucial machinery and implements that usually work together to achieve targeted results. There are various types of ploughs available for use in agricultural industries, however, their suitability depends on the location and the nature of the soil in which they are to be used.
Some are particularly useful in rocky, water-logged, clayey soil, and loamy as the case may be. The Mould Board, Disc, and Chisel plough are some types of plough that have made significant impacts in agriculture.
Ploughing is important is an essential aspect of farming industries as it improves soil structure and aeration in the soil which in turn increases the yields of crops,
Uses of the Plough
The plough can be used for
- breaking the soil to form clods and lumps
- it is used to control erosion,
- burying of dead grass and straw helps to increase soil fertility
Harrow in Agriculture
The harrow is a secondary farm implement used in land preparation. The implement is referred to as a secondary tillage implement used immediately after the plough.
It is used for breaking, loosening, and smoothing the lumps or clods formed during ploughing. The harrow is a surface implement used for providing a smooth structure in soil called tilts for seed germination.
Unlike the plough, which cuts the deep surface of the soil, the harrow is a shallow implement used for the preparation of seedbeds, and harvesting of shallow-rooted crops.
During the working process, the harrow breaks up the clods or lumps. As the harrow worked on the soil, seeds of weeds and germinated weeds or grasses were exposed, thus reducing early competition on the farm.
The harrow just like the plough contains a point where it can be attached to the three-point links of the tractor.
The three-point links are usually used to raise the harrow and control the depth.
There are four types of harrows used in the farming industries. They are disc harrows, tine harrows or spring tooth harrows chain harrows, and chain-disk harrows.
The harrows can be attached to work animals like horses, donkeys, and oxen which help pulverize the soil. In modern agriculture, the harrow is hitched to a tractor.
Uses of the Harrow
The harrow is used for
- seedbed preparation,
- breaking of soil lumps or clods,
- Pulverized soil
- loosening the soil for air circulation in the soil,
- destroying weeds or weed seed
Balers or Hay Baler
The baler is a multifaceted implement that can be used for both agricultural and non-agricultural industries.
In agriculture, a hay baler is a tractor-mounted implement used essentially for cutting, rolling, and compressing hay, straw, and silages into a compact bale. in such a way, it can be easy to handle, transport, and store for future use or sale.
The baler is usually hitched to a tractor and systematically collects the hay, straw, and silage wrap into a form that can be managed. The baler is designed with a feature that drys and preserves forages for long periods.
The implement remains one of the most important equipment for storing forage with good nutritional value.
This tractor-coupled implement is efficient and effective in rolling hay or preserving pasture into bundles that can easily be carried or rolled from one place to another.
In the pasture industries, there are different types of balers used for harvesting and rolling forages into bales. These balers could either be round, square baler, or rectangular and come in various shapes and sizes. After the forges are rolled into bales they are bound with twine and bounding wire.
Uses of the Balers
The baler is used for the following activities.
- harvesting forages
- rolling of forages into bales
- preserving forages as hay
Mowers/ Slasher
The Mowers also referred to as the slashers are agricultural implements that are mounted to a tractor or trailer to cut grasses and harvest economic crops.
The tractor-mounted mowers are specially designed for slashing or cutting grass in large expanses of land. In the livestock industries, mowers are the preferred choice for harvesting grasses in large quantities for hay and silage.
The mower is considered best in the harvesting folder because the harvested crops are often placed into rows.
Today, various types of mowers are manufactured to suit the needs of the users, some are manually operated, small power-operated mowers, and tractor-mounted mowers as well.
Uses of the Mower
The mower is used to perform the following operations on the farm
- They are used for cutting grass in the law or sports area,
- For harvesting crops forages such as rice, maize, or wheat.
Boom Sprayer
A Boom Sprayer is an implement that can be mounted to a tractor and used for spraying herbicide, pesticide, and liquid fertilizer at a specific pressure. It is usually hitch to the three-point linkage of the tractor to spray liquid substances in a large expanse of agricultural land.
The tractor-mounted implement is highly effective and efficient in spraying liquid materials over an expanse of land. The implement can quickly and easily be used to spray liquid fertilizers or pesticides across fields.
There are various designs and sizes of the sprayers to suit consumer preferences. This multipurpose plant protection sprayer consists of a polyethylene tank, pressure gauge, regulator, and nozzles for spraying chemical solutions.
Broom sprayers can spray the liquid chemical solution at a sufficient pressure to reach all the leaves, and ensure that the chemical solution spreads uniformly over the entire plant.
The sprayer should be properly calibrated to ensure the correct droplet of the liquid chemical solution. This will ensure that the chemical solution sprayed uniformly covers large areas of plants.
Uses of the Boom Sprayer
The boom sprayer is used for different purposes, however, some of its uses are:
- Application for pesticides or insecticides to control dangerous pests and insect
- spraying of fungicides, and other chemicals to control pathogens in the farm.
- used for Irrigating crops on the farm.,
- use for cooling air in the poultry farm,
- used for misting for the greenhouse,
- for washing fish nets immediately after fishing
- for cleaning the wall, and floor of the animal pen.
Broadcaster (Seed/ Fertilizer Spreaders)
A Broadcaster or Fertilizer Spreader is a farm implement that is hitched to a tractor to spread fertilizers or seed evenly across the farm. The quantity of fertilizer or seed to be broadcasted is adjusted in such a way as to ensure that the quantity of fertilizer to be applied is spread uniformly to the crops.
there are two main types of fertilizer spreaders or broadcasters in the agricultural industries; t tractor-mounted spreaders and fertilizer spreading machines.
the tractor-hitched broadcaster or spreaders are attached to a tractor, while the spreader machine operates separately without necessarily mounting it to the tractor.
Both types of farm equipment can be used in broadcasting seeds or fertilizers homogeneous on the farm
The broadcaster or the spreader ensures the proper distribution of fertilizers. The implement is usually adjusted in such a way that it ensures accurate application of fertilizer, reduces the stress of manually distributing fertilizer to the crops, a large hectare of farmland can be applied within a short time, and requires less effort in carrying out fertilizer operations on the farm.
Uses of the Broadcaster (Seed/ Fertilizer Spreaders)
these farm implements can be used to perform the following functions
- it is used to spread fertilizer on the farm
- it is also used to broadcast seeds such as rice
- it can used to transport fertilizers and seeds around the farm.
Planter/ Seed Drill
The planter or seed drill as the name suggests is a farm implement that is used for planting seeds on the farm. The implement is designed in such a way that it places seeds uniformly in furrows at a controlled depth.
The seed drill or the planter is designed with mechanisms that systematically cover the seeds with soil immediately after they are planted.
The planter or seed drill can be a tractor-mounted drill, animal-pulled drill, or manually-pulled planter.
In a manual seed drill, the farmer drops the seeds in the planter as it is pulled along the furrows, in mechanical seed drills, the implement is designed with a lever that systematically drops the seed, while in the animal-pulled drill, the seed is placed on the soil as the animal pulled the driller.
The seed drill or planter consists of the seed box, seed metering mechanisms, seed tubes, furrow openers, furrow closer, seed rate adjusting lever, power transmitting wheels, and transport wheel.
Uses of the Seed Drills/Planter
The seed is used to perform the following operations on the farm.
- it is used to plant seeds on the farm
- it aids seed transportation on the farm,
- help to open up the furrows at uniform depths to receive seed,
- help to meter the seeds in the soil accurately,
- help to drill the seeds in the furrows
- cover the seeds with soil after planting.
Cultivator
A cultivator is an agricultural implement designed for secondary tillage. The implement is used to break and pulverize the soil, creating a fine structure to receive seed.
Similarly, the cultivator can be smoother weeds, and create aerated seedbeds. They are the best choice for smoothing, loosening, and eliminating weed during operation.
The Cultivator and the harrow are two different types of farm implements used in soil preparation. while the harrow has a set of teets that are used for breaking and loosening the soil, the cultivator spike is a set of spikes teeth, or disks also used for breaking up and loosening the soil.
Another notable difference between the Cultivator and harrow is the rotatory motion of the disk and teeth of the cultivator that helps to smoothen the soil.
There are various kinds of cultivators available in the agricultural industry for performing planting tasks on the farm. They include tractor-mounted cultivators and animal-pulled cultivators.
The tractor-hitched cultivator is mostly used in commercial farms while the animal-pulled cultivate is more commonly used in subsistence farms or the developing country.
Uses of the Cultivator
The uses of cultivators include
- It is used to create good seedbeds for planting seed
- It is used to loosen the soil which creates room to increase soil aeration,
- it helps to destroy weeds and/or crop residue through uprooting or disruption of photosynthesis through burying.
Ridger
This is a secondary tillage implement used for making ridges on the farm for the planting of crops. The ridger is hitched to the tractor with the aid of the three-point link for turning the soil to form ridges. The implements have two mouldboards suited at the right and left axes.
Ridging is made possible by the working principle of the mouldboard which involves turning from right and left alternatively. The ridger is used to divide the farm into ridges and furrows which make panting possible.
This farm implement is operated in tilled soil by a tractor, the share point penetrates the soil, and the mouldboard displaces the soil to both sides, forming a furrow. the soil lifted from the sides of the mouldboard that forms a ridge.
The depth capacity of the mouldboard is usually controlled by the hydraulic system of the tractor. The implement is made up of a rectangular frame made of steel angle, a three-point link port, shanks, and ridger body, (mouldboards), share, print, and tie bars.
Uses of the Ridger
The uses of the ridger are
- it is used for making ridges
- it is also used for uprooting of weeds during ridging
Combined Drill
The combined drill is machine equipment used for both seed planting and seedbed preparation. The combined drill is a versatile farm implement that can be used perfectly in both seedbed preparation and seed planting.
The implement works effectively by creating furrows in the soil for seed planting and preparing the soil to receive seeds by breaking up clumps and removing debris in the soil.
The tractor-mounted combined is designed to perform both tasks effectively and accurately in performing agricultural activities.
The combined drills are designed with a lever that can be adjusted to suit planting needs, such adjustments can be row spacing, seed rate, and planting depth depending on the crop.
Modern combined drills are built with precision technologies that can place seeds and fertilizer into the soil.
The advantage of the combined drill is that the combined drill is flexible for planting different crops taking into cognizance the planting depth and rate of various crops, it possesses mixed characteristics that can help improve the planting process, and it helps to create a uniform seedbed for seeding sowing. uptake.
Uses of the Combined drill
The combined drill can be used for the following.
- it is used for sowing seed in the field
- it is used for seedbed preparation.
- the modern drill can be used to fertilize the soil with seeds.