ROHINI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

AI3501 FARM EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

UNIT 1

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FARM MECHANIZATION:

Farm mechanization is the application of engineering and technology in

agricultural operations, to do a job in a better way to improve productivity. This
includes development application and management of all mechanical aids for field
production, water control, material handling, storing and processing. Mechanical
aids include hand tools, animal drawn equipment, power tillers, tractors, engines,
electric motors, processing and hauling equipment.

Farm mechanization refers to only those activities normally occurring inside the
boundries of the farm unit or at the farm unit level.

SCOPE OF FARM MECHANIZATION:

There is a good scope of farm mechanization in India due to the following

factors:

1) Improved irrigation facility in the country.

2) Introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds.

3) Introduction of high dose of fertilizers and pesticides for different crops.

4) Introduction of new crops in different parts of the country.

5) Multiple cropping system and intensive cultivation followed in different parts
of the country.

BENEFITS OF FARM MECHANIZATION:

There are various benefits of farm mechanization:

1) Timeliness of operation

2) Precision of operation
3) Improvement of work environment

4) Enhancement of safety
5) Reduction of drudgery of labour

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6) Reduction of loss of crops and food products

7) Increased productivity of land

8) Increased economic return to farmers

9) Improved dignity of farmers

10) Progress and prosperity in rural areas

OBJECTIVES OF FARM MECHANIZATION:

It is all forms of mechanical assistance at all levels of sophistication. Usually it
involves an injection of capital usually labour augmenting. Mechanization objectives
in the context of agricultural development strategy are:
i)Agricultural productivity to increase the sector’s contribution to economic growth
and security.
ii)Increase rural welfare: incomes, employment, living standards, alleviating
poverty.

iii)Achieving social modernisation; attitudes and behavior

iv)To increase land productivity

v)To increase labour productivity
vi)To reduce drudgery and farm work load

vii)To reduce cost of production

TILLAGE
It is the mechanical manipulation of soil to provide favourable condition for crop
production. It breaks the compact surface of earth to certain depth and loosens the
soil mass. So that roots of the crop penetrate and spread into the soil .These include
ploughing, harrowing, mechanical destruction of weed and breaking of soil crust.

Tillage is the first and most important operation practiced for any crop production.
These operations are carried out before sowing or planting any crop.

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About 20% of the total energy required for crop production is utilized in tillage
operations.

OBJECTIVES OF TILLAGE

To obtain deep seed bed, suitable for different types of crops

 Obtain conditions that would guarantee a better yield
 Better soil aeration for better gaseous exchange both in soil and root area
 Improvement of soil structure and permeability
 Demolition of pests
 Preparing soil for more water absorption
 Uniform distribution of manure and fertilizers.
 Create a setting where the seedling gets maximum sunlight necessary for
growth(Through weed control)
 Provide efficient seed-soil contact in a way the seeds and seedling gets adequate
water.
 Increase soil depth
1. Better decomposition of plant residue improves the soil condition
2. Better soil structure reduces the resistance to root growth.
3. High water infiltration into subsoil due to increased pore space
4. Improves oxidation and decomposition, which, in turn, help in fading of soil colour
5. Helps in achieving a soil temperature ideal for seed germination and establishment.

Methods/system of tillage:

1. Conventional tillage system

2. Zero tillage
3. Minimum tillage
4. Strip tillage
5. Conservation tillage system

Conventional tillage system:

This is a method commonly found worldwide, including in Bangladesh. Where cattle

and horses are used as the main power source. Later on, tractor power is also used
in intensive manure. Plowing, disking once or twice to break the soil clods, and

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collecting the plant materials have been common for many years. The conventional
tillage usually prepares a farm seedbed free of clods, and soil aggregates are farmly
divided.

Zero tillage:

Zero tillage may be defined as the tillage system that involves no seedbed
preparation other than opening the soil to place the seed.

Minimum tillage:

The last amount of tillage required to prepare a good seedbed for seed germination,
plant establishment, and prevent weed growth is known as minimum tillage.

Strip tillage:

The tillage operation performs in the isolated bands separated by the soil bands. That
is not distributed by tillage implements is known as strip tillage.

Conservation tillage system:

A conservation tillage system may be defined as a system of tillage operation that

involves minimum preparation of the field for raising crops. This is also called
abnormal tillage.

Types of tillage:

1. Preparatory tillage –
2. Primary tillage
3. Secondary tillage
4. Inter tillage
Preparatory tillage:

The tillage operation is done for the purpose of the field for raising crops. It consists
of deep plowing and loosening of soil to bring about desirable tilth and incorporate
or uproot weeds and stables.

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Primary tillage:

In preparatory tillage, the first cutting and inverting of the soil after the harvest of a
crop or untilled fallow or bringing virgin or new land under cultivation is primary
tillage. The depth of primary tillage ranges from 10 – 30 cm. It may be done once,
twice, or thrice in a year. Primary tillage includes plowing in which the soil is cut,
lifted, shattered, twisted, and inverted for further preparation. Large soil clods are
formed due to primary tillage.

Implements for Primary Tillage Plough –

Wooden or indigenous plough

Indigenous plough is an implement which is made of wood with an iron share point.
It consists of body, shaft pole, share and handle. It is drawn with bullocks. It cuts a
V shaped furrow and opens the soil but there is no inversion. Ploughing operation is
also not perfect because some unploughed strip is always left between furrows. This
is reduced by cross ploughing, but even then small squares remain unploughed .

Disc plough

The disc plough bears little resemblance to the common mouldboard plough. A
large, revolving, concave steel disc replaces the share and the mouldboard. The disc
turns the furrow slice to one side with a scooping action. The usual size of the disc
is 60 cm in diameter and this turns a 35 to 30 cm furrow slice. The disc plough is
more suitable for land in which there is much fibrous growth of weeds as the disc
cuts and incorporates the weeds. The disc plough works well in soils free from

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stones. No harrowing is necessary to break the clods of the upturned soil as in a

mouldboard plough.

Mould board plough

The parts of mould board plough are frog or body, mould board or wing, share,
landside, connecting, rod, bracket and handle. This type of plough leaves no
unploughed land as the furrow slices are cut clean and inverted to one side resulting
in better pulverisation. The animal drawn mould board plough is small, ploughs to a
depth of 15 cm, while two mould board ploughs which are bigger in size are attached
to the tractor and ploughed to a depth of 25 to 30 cm. Mould board ploughs are used
where soil inversion is necessary. Victory plough is animal

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drawn mouldboard plough with a short shaft.

1) Special plough: sub soil plough

2) Chisel plough
3) Ridge plough
4) Rotatory plough
5) Basin lister

Sub soil plough

It is designed to break up hard layers or pans without bringing them to the surface.
The body of the subsoil plough is wedge shaped and narrow while the share is
wide so as to shatter the hard pan and making only a slot on the top layer.

Chisel plough

Chisel plough is used for breaking hard pans and for deep ploughing (60-70 cm)
with less disturbance to the top layers. Its body is thin with replaceable cutting
edge so as to have minimum disturbance to the top layers. It contains a

replaceable share to shatter the lower layers.

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Ridge plough

Ridge plough has two mould boards, one for turning the soil to the right and another
to the left. The share is common for both the mould boards i.e. double winged. These
mould boards are mounted on a common body. The, ridge plough is used to split the
field into ridges and furrows and for earthing up of crops. Ridge ploughs are used to
make broad bed and furrows by attaching two ridge ploughs on a frame at 150em
spacing between them.

Rotary plough

Rotary plough cuts the soil and pulverizes it. The cutting of soil is done by either
blades or tynes. The blade types are widely used. The depth of cut is up to 12 to 15
cm. It is suitable for light soils.

Basin lister

Basin lister is a heavy implement with one or two mouldboards or shovels. These
shovels are mounted on a special type of frame on which they act alternately. This
implement is used to form listed furrows (broken furrows with small dams and
basins) to prevent free runoff of rainfall and blowing off the soil in low rainfall areas

Ploughing is the primary tillage operations, which are performed to cut, break and
invert the soil partially or completely. Ploughing essentially means opening the
upper crust of the soil, breaking the clods and making the soil suitable for sowing
seeds.

Country or Indigenous plough: It penetrates into the soil and breaks it open. The
functional components include share, body, shoe, handle and beam. It can be used
for dry land, garden land and wetland ploughing operations. Share - It is the working
part of the plough attached to the shoe with which it penetrates into the soil and
breaks it open.

Shoe - It supports and stabilizes the plough at the required depth.

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Body - It is main part of the plough to which the shoe, beam and handle are generally
attached. In country plough body and shoe are integral part.

Beam - It is generally a long wooden piece, which connects the main body of the
plough to the yoke.

Handle - A wooden piece vertically attached to the body to enable the operator to
control the plough.

Secondary tillage:

The tillage operations are done after primary tillage to bring a good soil tilth. In this
operation, the soil is not inverted. Still, the instinct of that stirred by breaking clods
and crusts, uprooting and removing weeds and root stokes incorporating manures
and fertilizers leveling, preparing rides, farrows, and irrigation drainage channels of
field, conserving soil moisture, increasing infiltration and aeration, and checking
erosion, post plowing but presiding tillage operation with their stimulating effect of
the soil destroy weed seedlings and prevent weed seed germination.

Tractor Drawn Cultivator:

Cultivator is an implement used for finer operations like breaking clods and working
the soil to a fine tilth in the preparation of seedbed. Cultivator is also known as tiller
or tooth harrow. It is used to further loosen the previously ploughed land before
sowing. It is also used to destroy weeds that germinate after ploughing. Cultivator
has two rows of tynes attached to its frame in staggered form. The main object of
providing two rows and staggering the position of tynes is to provide clearance
between tynes so that clods and plant residues can freely pass through without
blocking. Provision is also made in the frame by drilling holes so that tynes can be
set close or apart as desirect. The number of tynes ranges from 7 to 13. The shares
of the tynes can be replaced when they are worn out.

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Sweep Cultivator

In stubble-mulch farming, it is difficult to prepare the land with ordinary implements

due to clogging. Sweep cultivator is the implements useful under this condition. It
consists of large inverted V shaped blades attached to a cultivator frame. These
blades run parallel to soil surface at a depth of 10 to IS cm. They are armged in two
rows and staggered. Sweep cultivator is used to cut up to 12 to 15cm depth of soil
during first operation after harvest and shallower during subsequent operations. It is
worked frequently to control weeds. It can also be used for harvesting groundnut.

Harrows

Harrows are used for shallow cultivation in operations such as preparation of

seedbed, covering seeds and destroying weed seedlings. Harrows a~ of two types:
disc harrow and blade harrow. '

Disc Harrow

The disc harrow consists of a number of concave discs of 45 to 55 cm in diameter.

These discs are smaller in size than disc plough, but more number of discs are
arranged on a frame. These discs are fitted 15cm apart on axles. Two sets of discs
are mounted on two axles. All the discs revolve together with axles. The discs cut
through the soil and effectively pulverise the clods.

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Blade Harrow

Blade harrows are used for different purposes like removal of weeds and stubbles,
crushing of clods working of soil to shallow depth, covering the seeds, inter
cutivation and harvesting of groundnut etc. The blade harrows useful for inter
cultivation are discussed later. Blade harrows are two types viz. indigenous and
improved.

Indigenous Blade Harrows

The general design of an indigenous blade harrow which is known

as guntaka consists of a beam to which two pegs are attached at the ends. A blade is
attached to these two pegs. Two shaft poles and' a handle are the other parts
of guntaka. Depending on the beam length and weight, the are known by different
names and used for- different purposes.

Plank and Roller

Plank is a very simple implement and consists of a heavy wooden beam of 2 m in

length. In addition, shafts and handle are fixed to the beams. When it is worked
most of the clods are crushed due to its weight. It also helps in micro levelling and
slight compaction necessary after sowing. Rollers are used mainly, to crush the hard
clods and to compact the soil in seed rows.

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Implements for Layout of seedbed

Country plough, ridge plough, bund former

Implemwnts for sowing

Plough, seed drill, ferti-cum seed drill, mechanical seed drill

Implements for intercultivation

Wooden plough, small blade harrow, weeders- rotary weeders

Inter tillage:

The tillage operations are done in the field after sowing or planting and before
harvesting crop plants. i.e.,during field duration. This is also known as inter
cultivation or post-seeding of the planting cultivation. It includes harrowing, hoeing,
weeding, earthing up, raking, riding, and furrowing. Inter tillage is shallower in
nature.

The crop to emergence keeps the field free from weeds for a significant period by
killing germinated but pre-emerged or emerging weeds. Intertillage helps
incorporate crop-dressed fertilizer to the earth up in a direct-seeded wetland and
transplanted paddy field. It includes paddling and bushing of rice land by inducing
tillering.

Animal drawn ploughs

Animal drawn ploughs are traditional agricultural tool used for tilling the soil. The
plough is attached to a draft animal such as an ox, cow, bullock and buffalo which
pulls it along the field.

The plough is used for a number of different field operations that include ploughing,
row-marking (for crop establishment), ridging and weeding .Mainly for primary and
secondary tillage. This plough is used for no. of different field operations include
ploughing, row marking, ridging and weeding During ploughing, the plough cuts,
breaks, loosens, inverts the soil and buries weeds, crop residues and manure.

The most common animal-drawn tillage implements in developing countries

are mouldboard ploughs, ards, hoes, harrow, ridgers and cultivators.
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ANIMAL DRAWN SPIKE TOOTH HARROW

The animal drawn spike tooth harrow is usually of rigid type. These may or may
not have provisions for changing the angle of spikes in operating conditions. This
harrow mainly consists of teeth, tooth bar, guard rail, clamps, braces, levers and draft
hooks. The teeth are made up of hardened steel with square/triangular/circular in
section. The teeth are so placed on tooth bar that no tooth is directly behind the
other. Teeth are fastened rigidly to the tooth bar. Clamps are rigidly fixed so as not
to be loose while in operation.

There are 2 types of animal drawn plough: one way plough and two way plough.

1. One way plough – It turns soil to the right hand side. One way plough requires
laying out a field in lands, starting with back furrow and ending with dead
furrow.

Animal drawn 2 way plough is also called as turn wrest plough

Two way plough – It turns soil to both the sides (right and left). Two sets of bottom
are mounted on a common frame that is rotated about a longitudinal axis to change
from one set to another.

Types of Implements:
1. Pull-type or trailed implement :
It is pulled and guided from a single hitch point and is not completely supported by
the tractor.

Eg: Trailed mould board plough

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2. Mounted Implement :
It is hitched to the tractor through a three-point linkage in such a manner that it is
completely supported by the tractor when in the raised position. The linkages
p0rovide a rotational stability about the longitudinal axis and permit depth or height
control by the vertical support from the tractor.
Eg: A mounted disc plough

3. Semi-Mounted Implements

It is attached to the tractor through a horizontal or nearly horizontal hinge axis and
is partially supported by the tractor at least during transport, but it is never
completely supported by the tractor. In heavy and large semi-mounted implements
supports wheels at the rear or in the middle together with remote hydraulic cylinder
are utilized for raising and lowering the complete implement/machine or its
individual units.

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4. Self-propelled machine.

One in which propelling power unit is an integral part of the implement/machine.

Advantages of Mounted Equipment:

1. Mounted equipment are less expensive than equivalent pull-type equipment.
2. Support wheels and accompanying structure required on pull type equipment
is eliminated.

3. Single depth or height control system forming a part of the tractor.

Maneuverability is better
Visibility is better

Transport is easier
Draft-sensing advantage

Vertical load transfer to aid in traction

Attaching & detaching is easier

Standardisation of Three-point hitch and “Quick-attaching couplers” to permit
interchangeable use of different makes of equipment.

Limitations of Mounted Implement:

1. Carrying capacity of tractor chassis

2. Transport stability is a limitation

Advantages of Self-propelled machine:

- Greater flexibility

- Better maneuverability

- Better visibility

- Better control by operator

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- Improved mobility
- Reduced losses when cutting unit is in front of the unit.

Disadvantages:
- Greater initial investment. It must have higher annual use to be economically
competitive with a pull-type machine.

Field capacity
Terms related to field performance of machines
Theoretical Field Capacity: It is the rate of field coverage of an implement
that would be obtained if the machine were performing its function 100% of
the time at the rated forward speed and always covered 100% of its width.
 WxS/10

 B) Theoretical Time per ha.: It is the time that would be required at the
theoretical field capacity.

 Thus Effective field capacities on the basis of total minutes per ha., is the sum
of the theoretical time per hectare plus the time per hectare required for turns
plus the time per hectare required for ‘support functions’ i.e. time lost as a
result of;

 i) Adjusting or lubricating the machine

 ii) Breakdowns
 iii) Clogging

 iv) Turning at ends

 v) Adding seed or fertilizer

 vi) Unloading of harvested products

 vii) Waiting for crop transport equipment etc.

 D) Effective Operating Time: It is the time during which the machine is

actually performing its intended functions.

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 E) Field Efficiency: It is the ratio of effective field capacity to theoretical

field capacity, in %. It includes the effect of time lost in the field and failure
to utilize the full width of the machine.

 F) Performance Efficiency: It is the measure of functional

effectiveness of a machine e.g.the % recovery of usable product by a
harvesting machine.

 G) Field Machine Index: It is the percentage ratio of effective

operating time plus turning time.

 H) Comparative Index: It is determined by actual time studies with same

machine for different fields.
 I) Time Efficiency: It is the ratio of time a machine is effectively
operating to the time a machine is committed to operation. Following list
describes the time elements that should be included when computing the
capacities or cost of machine:
 1) Machine preparation time at the farmstead.

 2) Travel time to and from the field

 3) Machine preparation time in the field both before and after operations
(includes daily servicing, preparation for towing)
 4) Theoretical field time (time the machine is operating in the crop at an
optimum forward speed and performing over its full width of action).

 5) Turning time and time crossing grass waterways (machine mechanisms are
operating).
 6) Time to load or unload the machine if not done on-the-go.
 7) Machine adjustment time if not done on-the-go (includes unplugging).

 8) Maintenance time (refueling, lubrication, chain tightening etc., if not done

on-the-go, not include daily services).

 9) Repair time (time spent in the field to replace or renew parts that have
becoming inoperative.

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Factors affecting field efficiency:

1) Theoretical field capacity of machine: Field efficiency decreases with increase
in TFC (increasing the width of a 4-row implement by 50% will increase the
effective field capacities by 35% for com planter and 40% for cultivator) and with
increase in operating speed of the implement.
2) Machine Maneuverability: Farm machines need to be easily maneuvered in
fields and on the roads to the fields. Field machines need to be designed to make
short turns at ends of the fields and while following crop rows planted on the contour
and in curves.

Field tillage or seeding machines can make square turns, Raking or windrowing or
bailing operations usually follow a rounded corner pattern.
3) Field patterns: Objectives are:

i) Amount of field travel should be minimum.

ii) Number of non-working turns should be minimum.
iii) Number of non-working travel in interior of field should be minimum.

iv) Field patterns should produce level surface to eliminate water ponding.
v) Repeated machine travel over a particular area of field will cause compaction of
soil.
4) Field Shape: An irregular field has less field efficiency than rectangular
fields because of excessive turning time.
5) Field Size: Field efficiency of large fields is less.

6) Yield (If harvesting operation): If yield is high it changes the width of cut of
machine. Throughout capacity of combine approx is 10tan/hr (4m cutter-bar). 50%
of St. crop (40% load).

7) Crop and Soil conditions: If crop and soil conditions are poor machine
forward speed reduced, field efficiency will improve, but this is not the desirable
factor.

8) System Limitations: Field efficiency may be limited by capacity of other

operations in a system, e.g. seedbed preparation and planting is a system in which

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seeding is required immediately after the soil preparation. Seeding can be done 1
acre/h but seed bed preparation can’t (disc narrow one vass acres/h.

Forces acting on a tillage implement or tool:-

 The engineers are concerned with the forces acting on a tillage implement
because of:
i) Total power requirements

ii) Proper hitching or application of pulling force.

iii) Designing for adequate strength and rigidity

iv) To determine best shape and adjustment of tools

 A tillage implement (or tool) moving at a constant velocity is subjected to

three main forces or force system which must be in equilibrium. These are:
i) Force of gravity upon the implement

ii) The soil forces acting upon the implement

iii) The forces acting upon the implement and the prime mover

If torque from rotary power transmission is not involved, the resultant of these forces
is the pull of the power unit upon implement.

 Clyde sub-divides the total soil reaction into two:

Useful forces: Are those forces which the tool must overcome in cutting, breaking
and moving of soil.

Parasitic forces: Are those forces (including friction and rolling resistance) that act
on stabilizing surfaces such as land side and sole of plow or upon supporting runners
or wheels.

 Under given set of operating conditions with a specific implement

the operator has some control over useful soil-resistance forces. However,
both designer and operator have some control over parasitic forces.

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