Agriculture, since its very beginning, places ploughing at the very heart of farming activities; its like the two are inseparable! Also known as tilling, ploughing is the foundation of agricultural farming since it keeps the soil fertile and ensures healthy crop production. In the past, it was carried out using manual labor including animals like horses to pull ploughs through the field, however today the same task is done through advanced machinery and tools, including tractors, moldboard, etc. that increase efficiency, precision and productivity in addition to reducing the negative environmental impact.

Although ploughing techniques today have changed but the basic function remains the same: loosening, mixing, and turning of the soil before sowing of the seeds in order to lay a proper field for healthy crop growth. It not only covers and buries old plant residue but also helps in the even distribution of nutrients within the soil, giving the crop a fairly decent chance of healthy growth.

After understanding what is ploughing, lets dig deep into why it is integral in the agricultural sector.

Why Ploughing is Integral in Agriculture

1. Soil and seedbed preparation: Ploughing conditions the soil and makes it ideal before planting of crop. As the hard and compacted soil gets turned over, it loosens up and becomes soft and crumbly. This texture not only helps with the planting of seeds but also enables essential nutrients such as air and water to penetrate deep into the soil that further allows new plants to grow in the most ideal and healthy environment. Additionally, it also incorporates organic matter within the soil, which improves soil’s fertility and structure; this further results in better water infiltration, seed to soil contact and maintenance of perfect moisture within the soil, leading to enhanced yields and land productivity.
2. Weed management: Various ploughing techniques disrupt the life cycle of weeds by uprooting them. With the mixing and loosening of the soil, weeds are likely to get turned over and buried underground which prevents them from competing with crops for essential nutrients and sunlight. Doing away with weeds means giving the crops a healthy environment to develop and flourish in.
3. Recharging and supplying of nutrients: When the previous crop residue gets mixed within the soil, various microorganisms feed on it, which further turns into a source of natural and essential nutrients that plants can use for better growth.
4. Pest control: There are various soil-borne pests and diseases residing in the soil like bugs and other insects. Turning of the soil exposes these pests to their natural killers like sunlight that weakens their survival chances and ultimately helps crops to settle in and bloom into a healthy plant.
5. Soil maintenance: Ploughing not only increases soil’s fertility and texture but also shields it from eroding. When we plough, it increases soil’s ability to retain water which secures the soil and prevents it from eroding. Additionally, it also enables soil aeration and gives the soil room to breathe, leading to a fruitful crop growth and development.

Modern Ploughing Techniques and Tools

As opposed to traditional farming where ploughing involved the use of manual ploughs that made it quite a labor intensive and time-consuming process, modern farming circles around advanced tools and tractor driven machinery which aids in increasing the yield all while making the process smoother and more precise. The different ploughing techniques and tools include:

• Mouldboard ploughing: Usually practiced on heavy soils, this technique utilizes mouldboard ploughs to improve aeration, control the lifespan of weeds and promote better growth of the crops.

• Strip cropping: This technique involves growing multiple crops in long and narrow strips alternated in crop rotation. Ploughing in these alternated strips helps in improving soil health and fertility along with decreasing wind and water erosion.

• Disc ploughing: With the help of disc ploughs, this technique is practiced in rocky soils to loosen it to create furrows before the sowing of seeds. It promotes topsoil conservation and better yield.

• Continuous ploughing:This ploughing type is beneficial in controlling weed dominance, improving soil’s structure, and increasing the productivity of soil. By not keeping the tractor and the implement idle for three-quarter land width and promoting continuous ploughing of the soil surface, this method creates an ideal seedbed for the crop to grow and thrive in.

• Round and round ploughing: This technique carries out ploughing along a circular perimeter as opposed to a straight direction. Also known as contour ploughing, this ploughing type improves the water-retaining capacity of the soil and helps in the prevention of soil erosion.

• Chisel ploughing: Used to improve soil’s fertility, soil structure and its moisture retaining capacity, this ploughing type uses chisel ploughs and breaks the hard compacted soil, perfectly.

• Rotary tilling: With the help of a rotary tiller, an ideal seedbed is prepared to achieve higher crop yield, prevent soil erosion, mix up the organic matter, and improve the level of nutrients present in the soil.

Different tools used to perform these ploughing techniques include:

• Disc plough: Consisting of rotating disc blades that works well in rocky, hard and stony areas, this tool has multiple functions. It is effective in turning, breaking and mixing of the soil to prepare an ideal seedbed before sowing, along with helping in pest and weed management. It can also quicky dig up pits and mix organic material into the soil, making it more productive and fertile.

• Mouldboard plough: Consisting of a large curved bottom, this tool is an essential farming equipment that cuts, lifts, turns and pulverizes the soil. Used in primary tillage operations, it creates a perfect seedbed, buries weed and previous crop residue, effectively mixes compost and fertilizers, improves nutrient content and overturns vegetation to expose a more smooth and fertile top soil.

• Chisel plough: This agricultural tool gets tillage efficiently and precisely with lesser soil disruption and lower fuel consumption. It helps in the breaking of the hardpan of the soil to loosen and aerate it completely for better nutrient absorption, root penetration, improved water infiltration and reduced soil erosion with minimal effect of compaction.

• Rotary plough: This powerful machine is important in agricultural operations to break up compacted soil and mix it to allow it to become aerated. It not only helps in soil preparation but is also useful for weed control, creating furrows, building raised beds and creating drainage ditches. The most important feature of this machine is that it can be used on various types of soil including rocky ones, tight spaces and slopy terrains.

• Hydraulic reversible plough: Making agricultural activities simpler and efficient, this advanced tool works in both directions. It helps in breaking of clumps, preparing seedbed, helping the soil to absorb nutrients better, limiting the life span of weeds, helping the soil in moisture retention and improving the comprehensive soil fertility. It not only saves time and effort but also provides a uniform tillage depth.

Still confused with the variety of ploughs available in the market space? Here are a few tips to help you choose the right plough for your specific farming needs:

• Soil type: Farm soil can range from being light, medium, hard, clayey or heavy. For different types of soil, different types of ploughs with their specific functions, are recommended. Fieldking offers a variety of ploughs that are suitable for different soil conditions. Our moldboard plough is suitable for sandy/clayey soil while our disc plough is a powerful machine more appropriate for compacted soil.

• Land size: You must choose a plough depending on the size of the area you want to work on. For smaller areas and lighter soils, our rotary plough is a perfect option that is easy to use and operate. However, for medium to large size farms, our hydraulic reversible ploughs is the right option since it works great in both directions.

• Good quality:For the machine to work at its maximum functionality, it must be easy to use and maintain in addition to being durable and robust. With a long operating life and wear and tear resistant parts, ploughs must be able to fight the harsh conditions on field. You must choose top notch quality ploughs such as the ones offered by Fieldking for best results.

• Functionality: Every plough has specific functions. Some are best for in depth tilling while others are perfect for the mixing of the top soil. Housing a huge variety of ploughs, Fieldking offers ploughs for soil breaking, raising, mixing, pulverizing along with the ability to aerate the soil and improve its fertility.

• Crop type: You can choose the right plough, depending on the type of crop you are growing. If you are growing crops that do not require a lot of invasions you can choose Fieldking’s chisel ploughs that are perfect for loosening the soil and reducing soil erosion. However, if you are growing crops that require deep tillage and extreme residue burial, you can opt for our mouldboard plough.
• Topography: The type of your land also influences the kind of plough suitable for farming. If you have a land with slopes and rocks, Fieldking’s subsoiler plough is the right option. With a land that faces waterlogging issues, moldboard plough is more ideal.

Revolutionizing agriculture and changing the face of farming practices, Fieldking has made good quality agricultural machinery available to all! Offering tailor made solutions and satisfactory services, Fieldking has made the colorful world of crops more sustainable and efficient. So, join hands with Fieldking and give a perfect makeover to your soil!