PRIMARY TILLAGE

BY: ENGR. ADORNADO C. VERGARA

Tillage is the preparation of the
soil for planting and the process
of keeping it loose and free from
weeds during the growth of
crops.
Objectives:
 To prepare a suitable seedbed
 To destroy competitive weeds
 To improve the physical condition of the
soil.
Primary tillage Equipment is used by farmer to
break and loosen the soil for a depth of 6 to 36
inches (15.2 to 91.4 cm).
Includes:
 Moldboard plow
 Disk plow
 Rotary plow
 Chisel plow
 Subsoil plow
Moldboard plows is adapted to the breaking of many types of soils
and is well suited for turning under covering crop residues.
 Moldboard plow bottom is a part of the
plow that actually breaks the soil. The parts
which form the moldboard plow bottom are
the share, the landside, and the moldboard.
 Moldboard –it receives the furrow slice
from the share and turns it.
Classes:
 Stubble – it is broader and bent more abruptly along the top edge. This
causes the furrow slice to be thrown over quickly, pulverizing it much
better than other type of molds. This type is best suited to work in soil
that has been cultivated from year to year (stubble soil).
 General-purpose – is a combination of the sod and stubble types and
can be used easily for sod or stubble land. Less curvature than the
stubble moldboard.
 Breaker/sod – designed to work in sod land and in land that has
remained idle for a number of years.
 High-speed – has slightly less curve to the upper section of the
moldboard than does the general-purpose moldboard. It is designed to
throw the furrow slice just far enough to lap upon the previous furrow
slice.
 Slat moldboards – are often used where the soil is sticky and does not
scour on solid moldboards.
Share – provides the cutting edge.
 Landside – is that part of the plow bottom
which slides along the face of the furrow
wall.
 Size of the plow – this is determined by
measuring the distance from the wing to the
landside.
Sizes: 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 inches (25.4, 30.5,
35.6, 40.6, and 45.7 centimeter).
Classification:
1. Animal-drawn Moldboard Plow
2. Tractor-drawn Moldboard Plow
a. Two-wheel Tractor
b. Four-wheel Tractor
b.1. Tractor-mounted Moldboard Plow
b.2. Semi-mounted Moldboard Plow
b.3. Trailing Moldboard Plow
Animal-drawn Moldboard Plow
Two-wheel Tractor plow
Tractor-mounted Moldboard Plow
Semi-mounted Moldboard Plow
Trailing Moldboard Plow
Accessories of Moldboard Plows
 Gage wheel – are required if the plow is to
maintain a uniform depth
 Colter – is used to cut the furrow slice from the
land and leave a clean wall. It also cuts through
trash so the plow can cover it better.
 Jointer – is a small, irregular shaped piece of
metal having a shape similar to an ordinary
bottom (miniature). Its purpose is to turn over a
small, ribbon like furrow slice directly in front of
the main plow bottom.
DISK PLOWS
 was brought out in an effort to reduce friction by making a rolling
bottom instead of a bottom that would slide along the furrow.
 Adapted to conditions where the moldboard will not work, such as
the following:
1. Sticky, waxy, gumbo, nonscouring soils and soils having a
hardpan or plow sole.
2. Dry, hard ground that cannot be penetrated with a moldboard
plow.
3. Rough, stony, and rooty ground, where the disk will ride over the
rocks.
4. Peaty and leaf-mold soils where the moldboard plow will not turn
the slice.
5. Deep plowing
Disk Plow
Types:
Tractor Mounted Disk Plow
Semi-mounted disc plow
Rotary Plows – also known as a rototiller, rotavator, rotary hoe,
power tiller. It is a motorized cultivator that works the soil by
means of rotating tines or blades. Rotary tillers are either self-
propelled or drawn as an attachment behind either a two-wheel
tractor or four wheel tractors.
 Pull Auxiliary-Engine Rotary plow
pulled forward by a tractor but has a cutting knives driven
by an auxiliary engine mounted on the frame of the plow.
The L-shaped cutting knives are mounted on a horizontal
power-driven shaft.
 Tractor-mounted Power-Takeoff-Driven Rotary Plow
not only is piled forward by the tractor but also has the
cutting knives driven by the tractor
Four-Wheels Tractor-mounted Power-Takeoff-
Driven Rotary Plow
Two-Wheel Tractor-mounted Power-Takeoff-Driven Rotary
Plow
CHISEL PLOW
With rigid curved or straight shank with relatively
narrow shovel points. The depth of plowing may be as
shallow as desired or as deep as 18 inches (45.75 cm) or
more.
SUBSOILER OR SUBSOIL PLOW
-Built heavier than the chisel plows, since they are used to penetrate the soil to
depths of from 20 to 36 inches (50.8 to 91.4 cm)
-Is a heavy-duty tool designed to operate below the normal depth of tillage and
to loosen the soil by lifting or displacement
END OF LECTURE…