Tillage

Tillage


Tillage is derived from word “Till” means to cultivate, to loose or to open the soil. Simply it means opening of soil.
Tillage is practice of working the soil to provide conditions favorable to growth of plants.

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Objectives of Tillage

                Primary purpose of tillage is to control weeds. Tillage is one of the important mechanical methods of controlling weeds. To destroy hibernating insects live either in the soil or on plant residues or weeds. When the plant residues are buried deeply and weeds are destroyed, the places for living of insects are also destroyed. Insects are also exposed to the sunrays and to attack of birds during cultivation, and are thus destroyed.
Tillage improves physical conditions of soil e.g. structure, infiltration or water holding capacity of soil and aid in erosion control in some cases (counter tillage).
Tillage increases microbial activity in soil. It results in faster decomposition of organic matter and release of nutrients.
It helps to incorporate crop residues into the soil, which when break, add to soil fertility.

Types of Tillage

                There are different types of tillage operation.

Fallow Cultivation or Primary Tillage

                Tillage carried out after harvesting one crop for complete coverage of crop residues and to break clods when land is in resting. It usually begins after the harvest of previous crop and come to an end when seed preparation is started. After the removal of previous crop irrigation is commonly applied to make the cultivation possible. Shortly before sowing another irrigation called “Rauni” is applied.

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Seed bed Preparation or Secondary Tillage

                It is the tillage provided to make the soil loose, well aerated and pulverize for sowing of a crop. This operation starts when soil comes in proper moisture condition after Rauni and come to an end with sowing of crop.
Amount or intensity of tillage depends on type of soil and previous crop stubbles.  For example heavy soil usually required more number of tillage than medium or light soils. The depth of tillage depends on roots system of crop.

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Hoeing or Intertillage

                Intertillage is the cultivation of soil after germination and during growth period of a crop.
Soil becomes loose to which more penetration and extension of roots occur. Consequently plants absorb nutrients and water from more area.

 
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