A Guide for Farmers on Good Land Husbandryir.uz.ac.zw/jspui/bitstream/10646/393/1/15 Tillage implements.pdf · Tillage Implements -1-A Guide for Farmers on Good Land Husbandry Tillage

Tillage Implements -1-

A Guide forFarmers on Good Land Husbandry

Tillage Implements



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis guide results from a collaborative effort based on the work and contributions from the following institu-tions and individuals:

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) : Mrs V. Mandishona (Chief Education and Training Officer); Mr P.Zakariya (Training Officer); Mr J. Chimwanda (Masvingo Provincial Farmer Organiser); Mr P. Mushure(Masvingo ZFU Provincial Committee Member and Communal Farmer); Mr N. Ramwidzai (ZFU memberand farmer from Sanyati Communal Area); Mr Mbayo (District Officer – Murewa); Mrs Zenu (Murewa DistrictTraining Officer); ZFU Farmers Groups in Murewa and Zimuto Communal Areas

Department for Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex)Engineering Branch, Institute of Agricultural Engineering: Mr I. Chatizwa (Researcher);Ms B. Mudamburi (Training Officer Draught Animal Power )Soil and Water Conservation Branch, Institute of Agricultural Engineering : Mr I. Nyagumbo(Senior Soil and Water Conservation Specialist); Mr. M. Munyati (Senior Soil and Water ConservationSpecialist)Masvingo Province: Mr. N. Rufu (Senior Agronomist and Crop Production Specialist)Agritex/GTX Contill Project

Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDEP): Dr M. Leupold (Team Leader); Mr. M.Connolly (Advisor to Agritex Masvingo); Mr R. Shuva (Graphic Artist)

Department for Research and Specialist Services (DRSS)Agronomy Institute : Mr. S. Mabasa (Head of Weed Research Team); Mr. H. Dhliwayo (PrincipalResearch Officer, Crop Production Unit, Makoholi Experiment Station); Mr T. Gatsi (Economist); Mr SNyahunzvi (Weed Research Team); Mr. V Zaravashe (Crop Production Unit, Makoholi ExperimentStation); Mr C. Madzima (Crop Production Unit, Makoholi Experiment Station)Cotton Research Institute: Mr TT Mashavira (Principal Cotton Research Agronomist); Mr. D. Musambari(Cotton Agronomist, Cotton Research Institute)Lowveld Research Station: Mr I. Mharapara (Head); Mr E. Mazhangara (Principal EconomicsResearch Officer); Mr. F. Mugabe (Soil Physicist)

Institute Of Environmental Studies (IES), University of Zimbabwe: Mr Edward Chuma

Cotton Training Centre (CTC)– Kadoma: Mr. G. Rabey (Director) and his staff

CARE – Masvingo: Mr. G. Tobaiwa (Assistant Project Manager, CARE Small Dams Project); Mr C.Mazhata (Senior Field Officer); Mr C. Gumbo (Field Officer); Ms K. Chamba (Field Officer); Mr. C.Chikomba (Field Officer)

Intermediate Technology Development Group Zimbabwe (ITDG): Mr K. Murwira (Programme Manager,Agricultural Programme)

Silsoe Research Institute: Dr S. Twomlow (Soil and Water Specialist); Mr J. Ellis-Jones (Economist); Dr J.Hagmann (Participatory Extension Specialist); Mr. Soren Dreyer (Soil Conservationist); Mr S. Briggs(Agricultural Engineer); Mr F.B. van der Meer (Soil Scientist)

Natural Resources Institute (NRI) : Dr C. Riches (Weed Scientist)

Swedish Co-operative Centre : Ms M. Brdarski

Out Reach Programme- Hinton Estates: Mr A. Norton; Mr. B. Oldrieve

The contributors wish to thank the United Kingdoms’ Department for International Development (DFID)Natural Resources Systems Programme, Semi-Arid System for the funds that helped produce this material,the logistical, technical and material support provided by IRDEP/GTZ Masvingo and the support from theDeputy Directors of Agritex Mr E. Danda and Mr R. Chitsiko.


TILLAGE IMPLEMENTS

1. Setting and maintenance

In order for us to benefit most from our animal drawn tillage implementswe need to know how to set and maintain them properly. We need toknow the shape and setting of the implement parts so that we can quicklytell whether the implement will work properly before we buy it.

The implements we are going to look at are:

Ploughs

Cultivators


Harrows

Tie-makers

and Ripper tines

2. The ploughIn Zimbabwe we have a standard plough called the Mealie Brand andmodified ploughs such as the Inkunzi Silver Medal. All ploughs made inZimbabwe are the modified versions of the Standard plough.

Various changes were made to the Standard plough to make it easy toset and maintain. These changes were mainly on the hitch assembly,wheel assembly and the cross braces on the handlebars.Ploughs are used for primary tillage, crop establishment and weedcontrol.


3. Standard plough - Most parts are interchangeable withthe modified versions.

4. Modified plough

#All the ploughs in Zimbabwe are available in three different sizes. Mostparts fit both the standard and the modified ploughs. Ploughs are availableas; v8, v10, and v12 with 8 inch (20 cm), 10 inch (25 cm) and 12 inch (30cm) cuts.

#The places where ploughs are made in Zimbabwe are listed at theback of this booklet

#A plough is made up of a number of different parts. These parts havespecific shapes, sizes, names and jobs. We need to know all theseparts and how they fit together, so we can use and maintain our ploughcorrectly. Some parts operate individually. Other parts work together tocomplete jobs.

#How many parts of the plough can you name?Have a competition with other farmers


5. Plough body assembly#The Plough body assembly is fixed tothe plough beam by the Kingbolt.

#The King bolt often becomes loose orgets broken. As a result, the ploughbecomes difficult to control and will not cutinto the soil well.

6. Handle beam assembly

#The main function of the handle is tosteer the plough when the plough bodyassembly is attached to the beam.

7. Wheel arm assembly#The purpose of the wheel is to maintain a constant depth of cut onlevel or uneven land.

# We are not supposed to use the wheel for depth control as thisresults in high wheel and axle wear and high animal work (draught)requirements. In sandy soils we should be able to plough over 10hectares before the wheel and axle need replacing.

Standard PloughWheel Arm Assembly

Modified PloughWheel Arm Assembly

Mouldboard

ShareFrog

Landside

Hand Grip

Plough beam

Handle


8. Hitch assembly# A mistake commonly made is toremove the whole hitch assembly andhook the chain directly to the ploughbeam.

#Some of us believe that the hitchassembly makes the plough too heavyfor our draught animals?

#This is not true. Adjusting the hitch isvery important for good ploughing andto reduce the work for the animal.

Standard Plough HitchAssembly

Modified Plough Hitch Assembly

9.The frog

# On a standard plough, the frog backmeasurement is 20cm. This is aboutthe length of plough spanner or thedistance between the tip of your 2ndfinger and thumb when stretched wide.

#If this distance is less, the width ofcut is reduced and turning of the soiland burial become poor.

20 cm

Frog back measurement

# On the standard plough the distancefrom the beam to the ground should be45cm with the plough balancing on thewheel on its own , i..e. resting on theplough body assembly.

#· If this distance is 5cm too big or toosmall, the plough will not go into the soilwell or may dig too deep.

10.Plough beam clearance


11. Correct beam shape

#The beam should be straight andparallel to a line from the end of thelandside to the tip of the share. If thisline is not straight the beam may betwisted. Twisted beams can bestraightened.

#The beam should also be parallel tothe ground and the furrow wall. Whenthe plough is set correctly, the draughtrequirement is at a minimum.

12. Chain length and animalshoulder height

#As a rule of the thumb, use a 3m.longchain for big oxen and 2½m long chainfor small oxen.

# If the chain is too short, the ploughwill run above the ground and you willhave to push the plough to try andachieve the depth required. This is veryhard work for the animal and thefarmer.

#DO NOT buy a short chain to savemoney! It will cost you in time and

13. Wear rates and plough part shapes

# How many parts of the plough can you name?

#Have a competition with other farmers to name theparts and their use.


14. Share

#The plough share can be used toplough about 5 acres in sandy soils beforeit needs replacement. The share will wearquickly in sandy soils, which are veryabrasive.

#·If the Plough share is not replacedwhen it becomes worn, the plough will notcut into the soil or turn the soil well andploughing will be very hard work for theanimal and the farmer.

15. Landside

#The landside can be used to ploughup to about 40 acres before it needsreplacing.

# When the landside is worn theplough becomes difficult to control.Both the share and the landside needto be replaced when the PITCH isreduced to zero.

16. Mouldboard

# The mouldboard normally lasts forabout 125 acres in the sandy soils.When we drop the plough afterploughing in the field and pull it home,the mouldboard and the right handlewears most.


17. Frog

#The frog normally lasts for a verylong time. If we replace the share andthe landside before they wear verybadly the frog should never be wornby the soil, and should not needreplacing.

# If we let the share and the landsidewear too much we can damage thefrog which will also need to bereplaced.

20 cm

Frog back measurement

18. Plough setting

# We need to know our plough parts and functions sothat we can set the plough properly, be comfortablewhen using it and not tire the animals or farmer tooquickly.

19. Adjusting plough depth

# We should aim to plough deep (23 cm) and leave a rough tilth sothat the rains will be captured and stored as moisture. Fine tilthresults in soil being eroded.

# If we find we are ploughing too shallow or too deep, follow thesesteps :


20. Standard Plough

STEP 1 Remove wheel or raise tomaximum

STEP 2 For deeper ploughingraise adjusting bar

STEP 3 Make few runs and repeat Step 2 above until the requireddepth is achieved.

STEP 4 Lower wheel until it touchessoil for uniform ploughing

For shallower cultivations repeatStep1 and then lower the adjustingbar and lastly lower the land wheel.


21. Modified Plough

STEP 1 Remove wheel or raise tomaximum

STEP 2 Raise or lower widthregulator on depth clevis topreferred depth.

STEP 3 Make few runs and repeat Step 2 above until the requireddepth is achieved.

STEP 4 Lower wheel until ittouches soil for uniform ploughing.


22. Adjusting the width of the plough cut

# We should aim to plough at a constant width and leave a rough tilthso that the rains will be captured and stored as moisture. Fine tilthresults in soil being eroded.

# If we find we are ploughing and want to make wider or narrow cuts,follow these steps :

23. Standard PloughA

B

For wider cultivation movechain towards ploughed land

STEP 1 After setting plough depthadjust the width of cut.

STEP 2 For wider cultivation movethe chain towards the ploughed land.This will cause the beam front tomove towards the unploughed landand cause the share to make awider cut i.e. B is greater than A

STEP 3 For narrower cultivationmove the chain towards theunploughed land. This will causethe beam front to move towards theploughed land and cause the shareto make a smaller cut i.e C is lessthan A.

STEP 4 Make a few runs and repeat either Step 2 or Step 3 untilthe required width of cut is achieved


DO NOT remove the width clevisto adjust the Plough Depth!

Removal of width clevis results in:

#rapid wear of wheels and axles

#making the plough heavy to pull

# the plough will tilt and it will bedifficult to plough at a constantwidth.

24. Modified PloughSTEP 1 To increase the width of cutmove the chain hook to the inner hole.

STEP 2 To narrow the width of cut movethe chain hook to the outer hole.

STEP 3 Make a few runs and repeat either Step 1 or Step 2 untilthe required width of cut is achieved

Depth clevis


25. Problems associated with ploughs.

a) If the plough does not cut into the soil well it may be because:

# The land is too hard and dry for ploughing.

# The share and landside are worn out resulting in reduced pitch.

b) If the plough is very unstable and hard work to use, it may bebecause :# The ‘width clevis’ has been removed. Try replacing it and resettingthe plough.

# The wheel is being used to adjust depth of cut, or that the wheel isadjusted TOO DEEP.

c) If the soil is not turned over well it may be because ;

# The frog has collapsed (Frog rake too narrow)

d) Always use the correct harnessing device.

# Double Neck Yoke with Oxen # Breast Band Harness for Donkeys

Direction of pull


26. Cultivators

Cultivators are very useful tools for weeding. The problem most of usexperience is how to set them properly for different soil types so thatwe can achieve the best performance. Sometimes we use a cultivatorwhich is not set properly and it does not do a good job. Let us look atthe types of cultivators we have at our homes and how we set them.

BS 221 Cultivator

BS 41 Cultivator

27. Cultivator setting

# How many parts of the Cultivator can you name?# Have a competition with other farmers.

STEP 1 - Use the correct Yoke Length - twice the crop row spacing


# Angled reversible tine

For breaking encrusted topsoil

# Duckfoot sweep tine

For cutting weeds and makingplanting rows.

#Standard sweep tine

For digging furrows

# Hillers

For making of small ridges

# Shovel (mainly used on rigidcultivator)

For loosening and breakinghard soils

STEP 2 Know the different types of cultivator tine and when to use them


STEP 3 Check for worn parts and replace if possible. You should check:

TinesHillersWheelsAxles

STEP 4 The cultivator tine depth should be set to suit the crop andthe soil type

# The depth that the tines cut into the soil depend upon the implementweight and depth adjustment.

STEP 5 For deeper settings:

Raise the support wheelLengthen the chain

Steepen the angle ofattack of the tines

STEP 6 For shallower settings:

Lower the support wheelShorten the chain

Reduce the angle of attackof the tines

STEP 7 Set width of cut between the tines to suit the crop row

Overlap tine points on the lineof travel

Find out what works best on your farm byexperimenting with different tines on your soils


27. Ridger bodies

A ridger body assembly fits on the plough assembly and can beused for making ridges prior to planting and for ridge weedingafter the crop has emerged.

Breast plate

Duck foot

Wing

A Ridger Body

A cultivator yokeshould be used with aridger

Ridger Body fixed toplough beam

28. Problems associated with Ridgersa) If the duck foot and wings are worn, we may experience poor cut-ting into the soil and poor soil turning

b) If we remove the hitch assembly, we may find that the ridger can notbe adjusted and is difficult to control and pull.

90 cm90 cm 90 cm

180 cm


28. Ripper tinesMany type of ripper tines fit onto the plough beamassembly. Ripper tines can be used for opening plantinglines and weeding. The different type of tines you canuse are:

Ripper 1 - The BulawayoSteel Products ripper tine

# This is commercially available inZimbabwe

# Works to 15 to 20 cm ( 6 inches)

# High draught, may require twopasses in some soils to go deeperthan 15 cm

Ripper 2 - The CONTILLripper tine

#This is good because it can bemade and repaired by localblacksmiths

#Works to 15 to 20 cm ( 6 inches)

# Low draught required - twoanimals

Ripper 3 - The CEEMATripper tine

# This is good because it can bemade and repaired by localblacksmiths

# Works to 15 to 20 cm ( 6inches)

#Low draught required - twoanimals


Ripper 4 - The donkey toolbar with ripper tine

# This is good because it can bemade and repaired bylocal blacksmiths

#Works to 15 to 20 cm ( 6 inches)

# Low draught required - you canuse a single donkey

29. Problems associated with ripper tines

a) Very worn tines will ;# Give poor soil cutting and will not break a plough pan if it exists.# Make it difficult to control and unstable.

b) Removing the hitch assembly will ;# Make the wheel wear rate higher.#Make the ripper pivot on the wheel and make it difficult to control.# Need the farmer to put extra pressure on the handles to get the tinesto cut into the soil.

30. HarrowsWe use harrows to break clods, uproot small weeds, and rake off trashand for leveling the top layers of a ploughed field. In some cases weuse the cultivator to break soil caps so that crops can emerge easily.Harrows are often classified according to i) type and weight, ii) thenumber and pattern of teeth and iii) type of teeth. The most commontypes of harrows are the triangular and the flexible type.

Triangular Harrow Flexible Harrow


31. Why do we need to set our harrows ?

a) To increase the working depth. We can do this by:# Adding weight on top of the harrows (use sand in a bag or a log )# Reducing the number of teeth for raking and clod breaking.# Setting the teeth inclined forward.

b) To reduce the working depth. We can do this by :# Removing any extra weight# Increasing the number of teeth#Setting the teeth inclined forward backwards

32. Other implements

AS FARMERS WE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE OUROWN SIMPLE IMPLEMENTS. HERE ARE A FEW WECAN TRY !

33. Scraper

This is used to level small heapsand depression in fields. It canbe used to shape contours androads but is most suitable forleveling flood irrigated fields.

34. Scraper operation

There are two ways to use thescraper:

a. When the ground is hard andpenetration is required.

b. When spreading soil on adepression

Handle

Plank

Rear plank Blade

Board

A B


35. Tie-makerAfter ridges have been constructed,it is very difficult and tiring toconstruct tied ridges.

A tie-maker is a simple tool that ismade of wood with a piece of scrapmetal attached to it as the blade.

36. Single animal toolbar

This simple and lightweight tool barallows you to cultivate using onlyone animal

37. Contil ripper tineand seeder

The Contil ripper tine with seederattachment allows you to open theplanting line and plant in oneoperation. This saves time and theenergy of the farmer and theanimals.

Tool frame

Ripper tine

Groundnut lifter

Sweep tineTie-maker


Manufacturers and sources of tillage implements

Name Address Implements available

ZIMPLOW/BULAWAYO STEELPRODUCTS

P.O. BOX 1059BULAWAYO

TEL: 09 71363/4FAX: 09 41131/71365

PLOUGHSCULTIVATORSSEEDERSRIPPER TINESHARROWS

KEVIN GLOSSMASP

MASVINGO

TEL: 111 206024O

SINGLE ANIMAL TOOL BARCONTIL RIPPER TINECONTIL SEEDER

ISTARN (Informal SectorTraining & ResourceNetwork)

MASVINGO TECHNICALCOLLEGEBOX 800MASVINGO

TEL: 039 52290

SINGLE ANIMAL TOOL BARCONTIL RIPPER TINECONTIL SEEDERRIPPER TINESPLOUGHS

RURAL TECHNOLOGYCENTRE, Institute ofAgricultural Engineering

PO BOX BW 330BORROWDALEHARARE

TEL 04 860055/19FAX: 04 860136

SINGLE ANIMAL TOOL BARCONTIL RIPPER TINECONTIL SEEDERRIPPER TINESPLOUGHS


A Guide for Farmers on Good Land Husbandry

Titles in Series

·Introduction to Good Land Husbandry

·Soil and Water Management

·Soil Fertility

·Primary Tillage and Land Preparation

·What is Important for Good Crop Establishment

·Planting Option 1 – Hand Planting

·Planting Option 2 – Traditional Third Furrow Planting

·Planting Option 3 – Open Plough Furrow Planting

·Planting Option 4 – Ripper Planting

·Weed Management

·Conservation Tillage Option 1 – No Till Tied Ridging

·Conservation Tillage Option 2 – Low Input Tillage and Weeding

·Alternative Soil and water Conservation Ideas

·Draught Animal Harnessing

·Tillage Implements


Documents

A Guide for Farmers on Good Land Husbandryir.uz.ac.zw/jspui/bitstream/10646/393/1/15 Tillage implements.pdf · Tillage Implements -1-A Guide for Farmers on Good Land Husbandry Tillage