What is Harrow Tool in Agriculture and its Uses?
Table of Content
- Introduction
- What is a Harrow Tool?
- Types of Harrows Tool
- Uses of Harrow Tools in Agriculture
- Advantages of Harrow Machine in Agriculture
- Conclusion
Introduction
Every farm requires preparation of land before plantation. Land preparation necessarily involves three steps, namely ploughing, harrowing, and leveling the farm field. In the process of land preparation, harrowing is the second most important step, which requires land preparation implements like a harrowing machine. In this blog, we will explain what a harrow tool is, its various types, advantages, and its uses in agriculture.
What is a Harrow Tool?
A harrow tool is a farm implement generally used to prepare the soil for the plantation of crops. A harrow machine is typically used after ploughing for tilling the soil to make it ideal for plantation. In other words, a harrow is used in agriculture to create a level seedbed. The harrowing meaning in agriculture is usually understood as a process to separate and ease out clusters of soil, eliminate wild plants, and cover seeds.
The harrow machine has been in use since ancient times. The evidence of the uses of harrow in farming was found in old civilisations that happened to be present in countries like China and Egypt. Over time, improvements have been made in all the farming tools. The harrow machine has improved a lot, resulting in different types of harrows used in agriculture today. The modern harrow implements come in different forms, such as Disc Harrows and Power Harrows.
Types of Harrows Tool
There are three main types of harrows used in agriculture: disc harrows, spike harrows, and chain harrows.
Disc Harrow
Disc harrow are a common type of harrows used commonly used in agriculture. These types of harrows come with circular blades that cut and turn the soil, breaking up masses and making a smooth seedbed. Disc harrows can be used in a wide variety of soil conditions, including sticky and heavy soils. They are particularly useful in preparing seedbeds for the plantation of various types of crops, such as corn, soybeans, and cotton.
Power Harrow
Power harrow, also known as Spike harrows, have long, sharp tynes that loosen and aerate the soil to make it ready for plantation. They are particularly useful in breaking up or loosening the hard and compacted soil, permitting air and water to penetrate more easily. Power harrows can also be used for weed control, as the tynes can uproot weeds and other useless plants. They are widely used in preparing soil for the plantation of small seeds such as grass or clover.
Chain Harrow
Chain harrow consist of chains that drag over the soil, breaking up clods and levelling the surface. They are commonly used for seedbed preparation, as they create a level surface for the plantation of crops. Chain harrows can also be used for weed control. The chains provided in the chain harrow can uproot weeds and other useless plants. They are particularly useful in preparing the seedbed for the plantation of different crops, such as vegetables and fruits.
Uses of Harrow Tools in Agriculture
In the above section, we have explained the different types of Harrows used in agriculture. Now in this section, let’s discuss the uses of harrow in farming.
Preparation of Seedbeds
One of the prime uses of harrow in farming is for the preparation of the seedbed. Harrows are used to prepare the seedbed by breaking up bundles of soil and producing a level surface for the plantation of crops.
An even and smooth seedbed ensures that crops are planted at a constant depth, resulting in even growth and germination.
Weed Control
Another use of Harrow in farming is weed control. Harrows are an ideal tool to uproot weeds and other useless plants. A harrow machine makes it easier to control unwanted crops on agricultural land.
A harrow tool helps minimise the competition for water and nutrients by removing the weeds from the agricultural land, resulting in the healthy growth of the crops.
Fertiliser Incorporation
Harrows can be used to mix fertilisers into the soil efficiently. It ensures that nutrients are distributed evenly. By combining fertilisers into the soil, harrows help in enhancing the healthy growth of the plants and improve crop yields.
Soil Ventilation
Harrows are an important tool in agriculture as they help improve the structure of the soil by breaking up bundles in the soil and allowing water and air to penetrate more efficiently and easily.
The compaction of soil can bind the growth of plants by decreasing the amount of air and water that can reach plant roots.
By breaking up soil bundles, the harrow machine helps enhance soil ventilation resulting in healthy root growth and enhanced growth of the crops.
Pest Control
Different types of harrows can be used to disturb the habitat of pests, making it more challenging for them to thrive in the soil. It, therefore, ensures that the crops do not get damaged by pests, resulting in healthy growth of the crops and improved productivity.
Advantages of Harrow Machine in Agriculture
Harrow has a variety of advantages in agriculture. Farmers use it to prepare the seedbeds before the plantation of crops. Some advantages of Harrow in farming are listed below:
- It is used to break up the clusters of soil and surface layers.
- The harrow machine enhances the uniformity of the surface of the ground and enhances ventilation in the soil.
- A harrow is used to cultivate the soil with great precision.
- It is an effective tool for removing weeds and useless plants from agricultural land.
- The discs provided in the disc harrow are adjustable, making them compatible with different types of soil.
- A harrow machine can thoroughly pulverise the soil.
- Farmers need to choose the type of harrow machine according to their needs, and they should know the purpose of harrowing in agriculture for the preparation of the soil.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed the Harrow tool in detail, including its type, uses and advantages. We hope that you get all the information about the Harrow tool that you were looking for. If you want to learn more about different types of Harrows, popular models, Harrow prices, etc., stay tuned with Tractorkarvan.
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