Land preparation

 

 

 

 

 

Why till the land?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understand the importance of land preparation (tillage & leveling)

 

 

 

 

Why should you prepare or till the land?

 

Land preparation or soil tillage is one of the most expensive and critical operations conducted on a farm each season. The aim of land preparation is two-fold:

 

1. to place the soil in the best physical condition for the crop to grow

 

2. to ensure that the soil surface is leveled

 

Land preparation or soil tillage is one of the most expensive and critical operations conducted on a farm each season.

 

 

 

 

The objectives of tillage

 

Land preparation covers a range of soil disturbances from zero-tillage, which minimizes soil disturbance through to a totally ‘puddled’ soil, which actually destroys soil structure. When considering the choice of tillage system, it is very important to have clearly defined short and long-term objectives. These objectives may be to:

 

  • decrease ped or clod size

  • remove, incorporate or modify plant residue

  • manage soil and field water efficiently

  • control weeds

  • mix and incorporate soil amendments such as lime and basal fertilizer

  • control or destroy insects, their eggs, larvae and breeding places

  • reduce  wind and water erosion by leaving a rough surface.

 

Any tillage operation has more than one effect. For example, if soil is tilled to control weeds the soil ped sizes will be decreased, soil moisture will be lost and crop residues will be incorporated. Therefore, it is important to determine the primary objective of each operation and to monitor resulting effects.

 

Dry and wet tillage

 

 

Tillage is different in different systems

 

The tillage requirements will vary according to cropping system to be used. What may be desirable for one may be inappropriate for another. A good example is the contrast between lowland and upland systems. Typically for lowland rice, fields are puddled in part to destroy structure and develop a hard pan to reduce water loss through deep percolation. Both effects are totally undesirable in an upland situation.

 

Tillage of upland (left) and wetland (right)

 

 

 

Click here to learn more about

the possible means of farm power.

 

Next lesson

 

In the next lesson we will discuss the different types of tillage.