Ploughing, also known as tilling, is the method of turning over and breaking up the soil using a plough or other farm implements to prepare it for plantation. In this blog, we will discuss the different types of ploughs, their working, popular implements, and we will also provide tips for choosing the right plough.
Ploughing is a fundamental farming practice. It is an ancient agricultural practice that breaks and turns the first layer of soil for preparing the land before cultivation. Its purpose is to loosen up the soil to absorb air, bring fresh nutrients to the surface, dump the remains of previous crops, and control weeds.
Ploughing leads to more uniform germination of seeds. It helps in rejuvenating the overused or depleted soil by adding organic matter. A properly ploughed land is less susceptible to waterlogging and drainage issues. It also improves the overall soil structure and soil health.
The invention of the plough revolutionized the entire process of agriculture. The availability of iron played a major role in the evolution of ploughs. Gradually, ploughs started coming with iron ploughshares and wooden carts, which increased their effectiveness. They were used for centuries for Ploughing. Later, at the end of the 18th century, the first all-metal plough was manufactured on an industrial scale. Since then, on the basis of requirements, plough has been evolving. Let’s discuss some of the major types of ploughs in detail.
Agriculture in India is a mix of traditional and modern farming techniques. Traditionally, wooden ploughs have been used in India for centuries for ploughing the land. The wooden plough, also known as the indigenous plough, is an implement made of wood and iron. It is drawn with the help of bullocks for ploughing the field. Wooden ploughs are still used for Ploughing in India, specifically in underdeveloped areas. However, due to their inefficiency in Ploughing, many modern ploughs have emerged in the agricultural sphere. The modern ploughs are available in different varieties, and they require a tractor to operate. The different types of ploughs available in India are MB plough, Hydraulic Reversbile MB plough, Disc plough, Chisel plough, and Subsoiler. Let’s discuss them one by one:
MB Plough is a primary tillage implement used for cutting, lifting, inverting, and pulverizing the furrow slice. In this type of plough, only one way of soil inversion happens as it throws the furrow slice to one side of the direction of travel. The MB plough is used in the field using the gathering or casting method. They are available in many options, and according to the tractor HP, you can choose a one-bottom, two-bottom, or three-bottom MB plough. The popular MB plough brands in India are Fieldking MB plough, Landforce MB plough, Swan Agro MB plough, and many others.
The hydraulic reversible MB plough is a more advanced type of MB plough, which is hydraulically operated for ploughing the land. It turns the furrow slice to the left or right side of the direction of travel as needed. These ploughs consist of two sets of opposed bottoms. In this plough, all furrows can be turned towards the same direction of the field by using one bottom for one side of travel and the other bottom for the return trip. The popular hydraulics reversible MB plough brands in India are Shaktiman hydraulic reversible MB plough, Fieldking hydraulic reversible MB plough, Mahindra hydraulic reversible MB plough, and more.
The disc plough is specially designed for hard and stony soil. It comes with a set of circular blades that cut through the soil and break the clumps easily. It is available in both fixed and reversible types. The common size of the disc is 60 cm in diameter. The popular brands offering disc ploughs in India are Fieldking disc plough, Landforce disc plough, Krishiking disc plough, and many others.
Chisel plough is designed especially for deep tillage that causes less disturbance to the top layers. It ploughs the land to a depth of 60 to 70 cm. It has a thin body with a cutting, sharp blade or edge. It does not turn the soil as much as other ploughs, which makes it a suitable option for low till farming. The chisel plough is suitable for ploughing the hardpan soil. The popular chisel plough brands in India are John Deere chisel plough, Vishwakarma chisel plough, and Agrotis chisel plough.
Subsoiler plough’s shape is similar to a chisel plough, but it has stronger, heavy-duty legs for deep Ploughing. It breaks the hard layers of soil or subsoil without bringing them up to the surface. It ploughs the land up to depths of two feet. The popular subsoiler brands in India are Fieldking subsoiler, Maschio Gaspardo subsoiler, Lancer subsoiler, etc.
Ploughing is done mainly to obtain a deep seedbed which has good water retention and appropriate air. This can be achieved with three main methods of Ploughing, such as gathering, casting, continuous ploughing method, and round and round ploughing method. Let’s discuss them below:
Gathering is a process in which the plough works round a strip of ploughed land.
Casting is a process in which the plough works round a strip of unploughed land.
This ploughing method is one of the economical and convenient methods. It is a traditional large-scale farming method that helps in quick seedbed preparation along with weed control. In this process, the tractor and the plough never stay idle beyond three quarter land width along the headland. They also never move in a space narrower than a quarter land width. The Ploughing is done continuously without leaving large sections of furrows unploughed. This method is efficient in enhancing uniformity while Ploughing.
In this method, as the name suggests, the plough moves circularly in the field. The Ploughing starts from one side of the field and gradually it reaches the centre. This method, however, is not a very economical and accurate method, as large diagonals remain unploughed.
Model Name |
Implement Type |
Tractor Power (HP) |
Price (Rs.) |
Disc Plough |
65 – 75 |
75,923* |
|
Disc Plough |
50 – 60 |
62,187* |
|
MB Plough |
65 – 75 |
47,336* |
|
MB Plough |
45 – 60 |
32,497* |
|
Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough |
65 – 90 |
3,05,000* |
|
Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough |
55 – 70 |
2,16,200* |
|
Subsoiler |
55+ |
80,000* |
|
Subsoiler |
65+ |
1,60,000* |
Tractorkarvan is an online platform that provides comprehensive and authentic information on various types of ploughs in India. Here, you can find various models of MB ploughs, disc ploughs, hydraulic reversible MB ploughs, chisel ploughs, and subsoilers, along with their specifications and prices. We have developed a compare implements feature on our portal where you can compare two plough models of similar or different brands. You can explore our plough page, where you can find all the types of plough listed with their complete specifications and prices.
Ploughing is the method of turning over and breaking up the soil using a plough or other farm implements to prepare it for plantation.
Some types of ploughs used in India are MB plough, hydraulic reversible plough, disc plough, chisel plough, and subsoiler plough.
Ploughing helps loosen the soil for proper aeration, as well as weed and pest control.
The different methods of Ploughing include gathering, casting, continuous Ploughing, and round and round Ploughing.