Soil Tillage: Forces Acting on a Tillage Tool

The implementation of tillage is drawn by the power units, like the tractor, animal source, or the power tiller. It is an agricultural preparation of soil. Various methods have been used in the soil tillage, such as “digging”, “stirring”, “overturning” etc. The practice of tillage and soil rotation influences soil health and the impact of long-run productivity and it provides positive environmental outcomes.

Soil Tillage

Soil tillage is a part of crop farming. In agriculture, soil tillage is the preparation of soil for cultivation. It is the process of the manipulation of the soil into the desired condition. Various tools are implemented to get the desired effect in agriculture. The soil tillage has been done to get the structural changes of the plowed land as well as the soil. Soil is mainly tilled to kill the weeds and to manage the crops. Soil tillage is necessary to simplify the intake of storage and transmission of water. It also provides a proper environment for the development of the seeds and roots. Elimination of the weeds occurs due to the soil tillage because the weeds become the hindrance for the crops. The weeds also compete with the crops for water, light, and nutrients. Soil tillage provides the proper environment for proper seeding and cultivating of the crops. Unfortunately, the practice of the soil tillage associated with the planting and harvesting generally destroyed the soil. On the other hand, the soil tillage increased the pore size of the original soil. 

Vertical Tillage tools

Vertical Tillage or VT is the system or the guidelines. Vertical tillage first emerged in North America between the 1970s and 1980s. The main aim of vertical tillage is to provide proper soil health, improve the health of the soil, increase water filtration and it tries to decrease soil erosion. It aims to protect the soil and keep the weeds and reduce the surface of the soil. It limits the level of soil inversion. With the help of the vertical tillage, the farmers include deep digging and ripping tools to break the hardpans. The main equipment that are mainly used in the vertical tillage are the tractors and the harvesters. 

Advantages of the Vertical Tillage: The main benefits of vertical tillage are as follows-

• As compared to other tillage tools, this tillage is more efficient and the faster speed in the fields.
• It can improve the bulk density.
• It is cheaper than the other conventional tillage. 
• It can better manage the heavy residue. 
• It can reduce the water runoff and can produce the proper soil quality for the plantation. 
• It can reduce soil erosion. 

Types of tillage

Tillage is normally classified into two parts- “Primary” and the “Secondary” types of tillage. 

Primary tillage: After the last harvest of the year, the primary tillage is the first soil tillage. This can be immediately done after the beginning of the harvest. There are three subdivisions of the primary tillage, they are- “deep tillage”, “sub soiling” and the “year-round tillage”.

Secondary tillage: Secondary tillage is mainly done after the primary tillage. After plowing the fields are left open with some weeds and clods. To crush the clods and to uproot the weeds, the “Harrowing” process is done under the secondary tillage. There is no subdivision of the secondary tillage.

Conventional tillage

Conventional tillage is the way or path for the management of agriculture. It aims to minimize the intensity or frequency of the tillage operations and it promotes environmental benefits. It aims to stir the deep level of soiling. It destroys the plant. This type of tillage is mainly done in the dry or winter seasons. Debris and breaks the soil lumps. It helps in decreasing the level of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses. This type of tillage mainly improves soil health and removes soil erosion. It is an economic and environment-friendly agricultural management approach. This type of soil tillage is profitable for the “agro-ecological” enterprises. It minimizes mechanical operations and decreases fuel expenditure. This technique can operate 30% of the weed and residue plants that are harmful to soil health. This type of tillage has an environmental conservation goal. It prevents soil erosion and nutrient loss. It does not disrupt the health of the soil properties. The main aim of this system is to increase the humidity and microbial activities. 

Conclusion

Soil tillage is the major element for the production of crops. The soil tillage has been done to get the structural changes of the plowed land as well as the soil. Soil tillage is necessary to simplify the intake of storage and transmission of water. Thus, it can be concluded that the entire chapter has discussed the topic “Soil Tillage”. The whole chapter has described the two tillages, such as the “Vertical tillage” and the “Conventional tillage”. It can also be concluded that it has also explained the various types of the village.