Agriculture is a time-consuming operation that cannot be completed by hand. As a result, agricultural procedures must be carried out with the aid of equipment and machines. These agricultural tools that are used in the cultivation of plants are called agricultural implements.
What are Agricultural Implements?
Agricultural implements are the tools needed to carry out farming operations. In today's farming activities, a variety of agricultural equipment are employed. In general, there are five different sorts of implements.
Agriculture implements are equipment that are used in agricultural activities to decrease human labor and improve field crop yield. Harvesters, drag, disc harrows, cultivators, seed drills, harrows, spades, pickage, ploughs, and other agricultural instruments are among the most common. In nations like India, where agriculture and farming are the predominant vocations, these equipment are in high demand.
Agricultural equipment are what make the difference between productive-profitable farming and unprofitable-unproductive farming. If you desire to practice profitable, modern agriculture then you must use agricultural equipment.
Agricultural equipment are different from machines because they don’t have several moving parts designed to perform a particular task and they aren’t driven from their own dedicated energy sources like electricity, steam, gas or fuel.
Agricultural equipment use power supplied or transmitted to them from another entity, usually a tractor.
Classes of Agricultural Equipment
Based on the tasks that agricultural equipment perform in agriculture, they can be broadly classified into seven categories: Planters, Shellers, Cutters, Ploughs, Tillers, Harvesters and Sprayers.
Planter
The agricultural equipment in this category perform the task of properly inserting or putting seeds into the ground so that they can grow well. If seeds aren’t placed into the ground in the correct way or method, they won’t grow. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Multi-crop Seed Drill
It performs seeding and fertilization process simultaneously in a single pass. Its usage increases farm yield by 10%
Potato Planter
It is used for making ridges and planting potato seeds simultaneously
Pneumatic Planter
It is an adjustable seed depth control system which ensures that seeds are placed in suitable moisture environment that can later be covered with adequate soil. It also preserves seeds from internal and external obstacles that prevent it from maturing
Sheller
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for removing the outer covering (skin, bark or husk) of harvested crops. These agricultural equipment perform the first processing work on harvested crops making them suitable for either human consumption or industrial use. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are
Maize Sheller
It is a mobile maize Sheller that can either be Tractor (PTO) or electric motor operated. It separates maize from its comb.
Wheat Thresher
It separates wheat grain from the rest of the wheat plant
Rice Thresher
It takes rice plant input from one end, beats it thoroughly and separates the rice grain from the rest of the plant
Cutter
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for removing or leveling grass, weed and other type of vegetation that cover the top layers of a land. These agricultural equipment are used to clear a land in preparation for both farming and non-farming operations on the land. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Rear Blades
It is used for farm and yard clearing and cleaning.
Lawn Mower
It is used for cutting grass and other top-layer vegetation growing on the land.
Ploughs
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for digging and turning over the soil before seeds are planted. Seeds need a lot of nutrients from the soil in order to grow well. These nutrients are available as organic matter in the soil. Most of these organic matters are present in the lower soil than in the top soil. So these agricultural equipment perform the task of moving nutritious soil to the top so that seeds can receive the nutrients they need for growth. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Mould Board Plough
It is used where soil inversion is needed. It cuts, partially or completely inverts a layer of soil to bury surface materials and pulverize the soil.
Tiller
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for preparing the land in order to use it for growing crops. Not every agricultural land is used for growing crops. Some are used for rearing animals. The lands to be used for growing crops need extra treatment which this category of agricultural equipment performs. Tillers break up the top soil, allow air circulation in the soil (aeration) and water retention in the soil which are all necessary for improving the ability of a land to grow crops. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Disc Harrow
It is used for chopping and mixing crop residue.
Cultivator
It stirs and pulverizes the soil for aerations (before planting) and for weed control (after planting).
Harvester
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for cutting off ripe crops or plants and for gathering them. Harvesting is a very tedious operation on the farm and it is the point at which losses and wastages detrimental to your farming business can occur. The agricultural equipment in this category helps you perform the task of harvesting your crops in such a way that waste and losses are reduced to the bare minimum so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labour. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Multi-crop Reaper
It harvests crops and lays them gently on the ground in form of windrow.
Potato Harvester
It uproots potato from the ground and separates it from the soil.
Sprayers
The agricultural equipment in this category are used for dispersing or spreading substances (usually liquid) across the farmland. The substances that these agricultural equipment disperse across the farm are needed for keeping the crops healthy or to fight off pests that are harmful to the crops and plants on the farm. Some examples of this type of agricultural equipment are:
Boom Spray
It is used for spraying liquids (pesticides or herbicides) at high pressure.
Fertilizer Broadcaster
It is used for spreading fertilizer evenly across the farm in an effective and efficient manner.
Benefits of Agricultural Implements
The following are some of the advantages of agricultural implements:
Human labor has dropped by a factor of ten.
When tools are employed, less labor is required.
They aid in the development of more efficient
It reduces the cost of labor.
The agricultural equipment are a once-in-a-lifetime
It helps you save both time and money.
These tools boost total earnings.
Aids the expansion of agricultural enterprises that produce these devices.
Indian Agricultural Implements Market Drivers:
Substitute for manual labor: Agriculture equipment have the ability to replace physical labor, which is one of their main advantages. Despite the fact that India has one of the largest populations in the world, labor shortages have impacted all sectors of the economy.
High Productivity and efficiency: Agricultural equipment boost output, efficiency, and per-person productivity. Mechanization enhances land yield per unit of the area while simultaneously lowering labor costs, resulting in improved land utilization and hence increased agricultural revenue.
Long Terms Cost Savings: Purchasing agricultural tools requires a large upfront capital investment. They seem to be more cost-efficient over time when compared to physical labor and work animals.
Improvements in Agriculture Techniques: Agricultural tools are also beneficial in terms of irrigation, land reclamation, and soil erosion prevention. Ploughing with a tractor, for example, reclaims more ground and so expands the cultivated area by smoothing out hillocks, filling up depressions and gullies, and eradicating deep-rooted weeds.
Government Support: The fact that agriculture implements is a significant emphasis area for the government is another important driver of the sector. Agriculture continues to be the principal source of income for more than half of the country's population, making it a key vote bank for any administration seeking to maintain power. The Indian government also provides local farmers with subsidies on water, energy, agricultural machinery, agrochemicals, hybrid seeds, and other items.
Large Agricultural Economy: India is the world's second-most populous country, accounting for over 18% of the global population. The demand for diverse agricultural goods has expanded dramatically as a result of expanding population.
Increase in custom hiring of implements: Agriculture tools have a high capital cost, which may deter many small-scale farmers from purchasing them. Furthermore, farmers with tiny landholdings do not find investing in their own agricultural tools to be financially viable.
How to buy the right agricultural equipment
Before you can get the right agricultural equipment for your farm, you first have to know what farming operation you want to perform on your farm. Looking at the seven categories above will give you an idea of the type of agricultural equipment you will need to perform any task on your farm. After you are certain of what you want to accomplish on your farm, the next step is to pick the equipment that will perform the task efficiently and effectively.
Two things are necessary for picking an effective and efficient agricultural equipment. These two things are: Material and Cost
Cost: the cost of the agricultural equipment is responsible for efficiency. If using the agricultural equipment will come at a running cost that will make you lose money, then it is not efficient to your agriculture business. Cost can be calculated as the price you buy or lease the agriculture equipment plus the full price of running the equipment (money spent on personnel and consumables like fuel, spare parts etc.). If the cost of the agricultural equipment is so high that it eats into the revenue and profits generated from your farm, then it isn’t an efficient agricultural equipment to continue using on your farm.
Make sure you always consider these two factors before buying any agricultural equipment for your farm.
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