Meaning of Horticultural Equipment
Horticultural equipment is tools, instruments, and devices used for the cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of crops such as fruits, vegetables, ornamental, plantation, and medicinal plants.
Equipment and tools in horticulture are necessary for the Establishment and management of fruits, vegetables, ornamental, plantation, and medicinal crop farming. These equipment are paramount for the planting, and maintenance of garden crops, fruits, vegetables, and flowering plants.
Using poor horticultural tools and equipment in the cultivation and management of crops will result in serious challenges on the horticultural farm. Operations in the field or garden require the use of certain tools and equipment.
These operations on the field include land preparation, seed treatment, nursery, transplanting, cultivation, weeding, fertilizer application, and harvesting which require the use of various types of equipment and tools for effective and efficient crop production.
Horticultural equipment is very important, as it aids in land preparation, nursery establishment, fertilizer applications, maintenance, and harvesting of crops. These tools vary depending on the sizes of farms, management practices, and types of horticultural crops cultivated.
These tools and equipment include poly bags, pipe hoses, saws, knapsack Sprayers, Shears and secateurs, Replacement shafts, Horticultural rakes, lopper Pruners, Axes, Measuring tapes, pick axes, Garden fork, spade/shovels, Wheelbarrows, nursery pots, nursery trays and more.
Since horticultural crops are ephemeral, annual, and perennial Fruits, vegetables, and flowers, these equipment are used for indoor plants, outdoors, decorating, and beautification of the environment (landscaping).
List and Examples of Horticultural Equipment and Tools
The list and examples of horticultural equipment and Tools are
- Nursery pot,
- Nursery tray
- Floral scissors
- Lopper
- head pan
- pumping machine
- Hand Saw,
- knapsack Sprayer,
- Shear
- secateurs,
- Replacement shaft,
- Horticultural rake,
- sickle
- Axe,
- Measuring tape,
- pick axe Garden fork,
- spade/shovel,
- Wheelbarrow,
Classification of Horticultural Equipment and Tools
Horticultural equipment and tools are classified based on the following
- Equipment and tools for land preparation: Examples of horticultural equipment and tools used in land preparation include cutlasses, machetes, spades, hoes, pick axes, plough, bulldozers, tree pullers
- Nursing tools and Equipment: Examples of horticultural equipment and tools include nursery pots, polythene bags, nursery trays, and more
- Pruning Tools and Equipment: Pruning tools and equipment used for horticultural crops are cutlasses, axes, loppers, shears, hand saws, ladders, and floral scissors.
- Transportation and Carrying Tools and Equipment: Examples of transportation and carrying tools and equipment are baskets, buckets, head pans, and wheelbarrows.
- Cutting Tools and Equipment: horticultural equipment used for Cutting tools are sickles, pliers, chisels, and secateurs
- Gathering Tools and Equipment: Examples of horticultural gathering tools and equipment are rakes, shovels, spades, etc.
- Irrigation / Watering tools and Equipment: These tools and equipment include watering cans, buckets, knapsacks Sprayers, pumping machines, hose pipes,
- Spraying Tools, and Equipment: Examples of spraying tools and equipment are knapsacks sprayers, hand sprayers, gallon, and watering tanks
- Harvesting Tools and Equipment: These include cutlasses, spades, hoes, axes, fruit pickers, berry pickers, tapping knives, harvesting rakes, and handle forks.
- Loosening Equipment and Tools: Examples of loosening tools are spanners, Allen keys, and pliers.
- Budding and grafting Tools and Equipment: Examples of building and grafting tools and equipment are hand trowels, spades, shovels, hand saws, hammers, measuring tape, Head pans, etc.
- Sharpening Tools and Equipment: Examples of horticultural sharpening tools and equipment are sharpening files, sandpaper, sharpening or whetting stones, manual sharping machines, and electric sharping machines.
- Measuring Tools and Equipment: Examples of Measuring Tools and equipment include ranging poles, measuring taps, Gunter chains, beacons, pegs, etc.
Horticultural Equipment and Tools and their Uses
Some horticultural equipment and tools used in the cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of fruits, vegetables, ornamental, plantation, and medicinal plants are:
Nursery Pot
These are pots designed for raising nursery seedlings and cultivating crops. They are made of clay, plastic, glass, ceramics, or metal. The nursery pots have small holes at the bases where water can easily drain out. The pots are very convenient, and can easily be carried from one location to another.
The pots are used both indoors and outdoors. The indoor pots are used for planting ornamental crops and they are used for decorating houses. The outdoor pots are used for planting ornamental crops, and decorating landscapes and environments. There are different types of nursery pots and they come in various dimensions and forms for optimal usage.
Uses of Nursery Pots
The uses of the nursery pots in horticulture are:
- Excellent for raising ornamental crops such as snake grass, tractor seed plants, etc
- Appropriate for decorating indoors with flowers.
- Suitable for decorating lawns, walkways, and landscapes.
- Use by horticulturists in raising flowers for sale.
- The uses of poly create room for the execution of Budding and grafting.
- Space maximization is possible with the use of Nursery pots
- Use to protect horticultural crops from poor environmental or harsh weather conditions
- Pest and disease control is possible with the use of nursery pots
- Weeds control is effective with the use of nursery pots.
- Appropriate root establishment is possible when pots are used to raise horticultural crops.
Polythene Bags
These bags are made from polyethylene materials and are used for raising young seedlings in the nursery before they are transplanted to the permanent. The poly bags come in different sizes and shapes depending on the needs of the farmers, the types of crops to be raised, and the sizes of the farms.
These bags are quite different from the nursery pots because they have small holes that allow water to drain out but the polythene bags need to be punctured before water can drain out. The polythenes bags are cheaper, convenient and provide almost similar functions to that of nursery pots.
Uses of Polythene Bags
The uses of the Poly bags in horticulture are:
- Excellent for raising horticultural crops such as tomatoes, pepper, manages, cocoa, etc.
- Space maximization is possible with the use of poly bags
- It is used by horticulturists for raising and selling young seedlings
- Budding and grafting are efficiently carried out with the use of poly bags.
- Vigorous and early germination is achieved with the use of polybags
- pests and disease control is achieved with the use of polybags
- Weeds control is effective in the nursery when poly bags are used.
- All year-round production of crops is possible with the use of poly bags
Nursery Tray
Seedling trays are polythene containers designed for raising seedlings in a protected environment. The tray is similar to that of the egg tray, but deeper and wider than the egg tray.
They are used purposely for growing and providing intensive care to young seedlings until they are strong or mature enough before moving them to the main field. Growing and nurturing seedlings in the seed tray helps to maximize planting space, and ensure effective utilization of planting material.
Uses of Nursery Tray
The uses of the Nursery tray in horticulture are
- Suitable for raising fruits, vegetables, ornamental, plantation, and medicinal plants in the nursery.
- It is used by horticulturists for raising and selling young seedlings
- It is suitable for raising high numbers of seedlings compared to other tools
- Vigorous and early germination is achieved with the use of nursery trays
- pests and disease management is effective with the use of Nursery trays
- Weeds management is possible in the nursery when the nursery trays are used.
- All year-round production is possible with the use of nursery tray
Hose Pipe/ Garden Hose
The hose pipe is made of stainless (stainless steel flexible hose) or polyethylene of various types and is used for conveying water from the water source to the nursery or the storage tank.
The hose pipe comes in different types and sizes. Some have specialized nozzles attached to them for effective usage. They exist in different colour which may be green, white, red, black, gray, and more. They also exist in various lengths to serve the needs of the users.
Uses of Hose pipe/ Garden Hose
The uses of the Hose pipe/ Garden hose in horticulture are:
- It is very suitable for watering, and irrigation crops at the nursery and in the field
- Excellent for cleaning uses other horticultural tools equipment and tools
- It is very appropriate for conveying fertilizer, pesticides, and other agro-chemical to crops
- You can use the hose for firefighting in the horticultural garden or farmstead
- Excellent for conveying water for the cleaning of farm machinery and implement
Water Pumping Machine
These are small farm machines designed for drawing water from the earth or water resources for irrigation, drinking, and washing purposes. They are specialized centrifugal pumps with various suction capacities to supply water in the garden.
There are two types of water pumping machines, mobile machines, and stationary pumping machines. The mobile pumping machines are limited to drawing water from only water bodies while the surface pump or installed water pump is designed to draw water from the earth The pump machines exist in various horsepower such as 3″ Hose -5.5Hose Power (hp) 1 HP Transfer Pumps, 0.5 Horse Power Water.
Uses of Water pumping machine
The uses of the Water pumping machine in horticulture are
- It is very suitable for drawing water from water sources for irrigating crops at the nursery and in the field
- Excellent for supplying water for the cleaning of horticultural tools equipment and tools
- The mobile pumping machine is used for draining water from the water log areas
- use for pumping water from the earth or water body during firefighting in the horticultural garden or farmstead
- Excellent for pumping water through the hose for the cleaning or washing farm machinery and implement
Continue Reading on 20 farm tools and their Uses