TOOLS USED IN AGRICULTURE

Tractors
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There are many types of tractors ranging from small to large, and
they are used for a variety of agricultural applications. A garden tractor, also
known as a riding lawnmower, is smaller than the typical tractor, and is used
for cutting grass. A compact utility tractor is a medium-sized tractor used for
landscaping. You can attach a plow, disk or brush-hog to this type of tractor.
Larger tractors such as backhoes and bulldozers are usually used for
construction and digging and can also be used for pulling.

Irrigation Systems
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The use of irrigation systems in agriculture has provided many

people with the opportunity to grow crops where they otherwise couldn't
have, because of the lack of rainfall. There are many types of these systems
including surface irrigation, which is normally used on large farms for
products like cotton and wheat. In this common method, the field is flooded,
letting gravity distribute the water. A center-pivot irrigation system is
comprised of large pipes that are high above ground. The system spreads across the field and pivots,
watering the crops. A smaller irrigation system can be used for yards, such as a sprinkler.

Hand Tools
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There are many jobs in agriculture that require the use of hand tools. A
spade, commonly used in gardens, is good for digging because of the flat, sharp
shape. A rake, usually with a long handle and a finger-like base, is used in
gardening and clean-up. A shovel allows you can scoop and carry because of the
size and shape of the base. A hand-held, fertilizing sprayer can be used to fertilize
crops in specific areas.
To build fences, many people use a post-hole digger, which allows you to dig a
large hole for a large post. A t-post driver is also commonly used, which is a heavy, hand-held, metal
tool that drives thin, metal posts into the ground. Slick wire, barbwire, or electric wire can be
attached to the t-post and used as a barrier fence.

Hoes
A hoe is identified by its long, circular handle with a thin, slightly ridged
square of metal at the end. It is used to break apart the soil around a weed so
it can be removed easily.
Trowels

A hand trowel is a miniature version of a hoe, but with a much smaller

handle and a triangular piece of metal attached. Because delicate plants will
require some gentle attention, a trowel can be used to extract weeds instead
of whacking away at the area with a hoe. They can also be used to pack dirt
over seeds during planting.
Pitchforks

A pitchfork looks like a huge version of a dinner fork. It has long prongs
attached to a long, circular handle. It is used to mix up the soil and
expose the darker, more nutrient-rich soil.

Rakes

Rakes work a lot like pitchforks in that they can turn over soil so that plants
can get more nutrients. The difference is that the prongs on a rake create a
right angle next to the handle, whereas a pitchfork is only slightly curved.
Shears

Shears are large scissors that farmers and gardeners use to prune their
plants. They can be used to cut off dead or dying portions to save the
healthy part of the plant.
Carts

Carts generally have two wheels and are more easily maneuvered than
wagons. They can be attached to horses or simply pulled by the farmer to
move large amounts of fruit or produce during the harvest.

Planter

The planter is an automatic seeding device towed behind a tractor. A planter automatically creates
furrows and sows seeds. A farmer loads the planter with seeds and drags the tool across a field. As
the planter moves, it cuts soil and lays seeds in evenly spaced rows.
Transplanter

The transplanter automatically creates planting holes and plants seedlings. Like the planter, this
tool is towed across a field behind a tractor. The transplanter allows a farmer to quickly transplant
large quantities of mature seedlings.
Electronic Planting Equipment

The modern farmer employs various electronic devices to control and monitor the planting
process. Most electronic planting devices control the functions of tractor attachments, such as
seeders. Seed-monitoring equipment and software allow the farmer to control the rate and spacing of
seed distribution with great accuracy.
Trowel

The trowel, also called the garden spade, is a traditional digging tool used to cultivate soil and
create holes for planting. The spade looks like a small, single-handed shovel. A gardener or farmer
plunges the tool's blade into the ground and turns or removes soil. Depressions created by a trowel
can be used to plant seeds or mature seedlings.

Seeders

There are several different types of seeders used to spread seeds into the ground. The types of
seeders used will depend on the type of soil, type of plant and land area. Disc seeders are used on clay
and clay loam soils. These are known as once-over seeders; they place the seed in the ground very
fast, and only one pass on the field is needed. Double-disc seeders are used when the seed needs to be
placed very accurately into the soil. It is not suitable for hard soils, as tillage is needed before using
the double-disc seeder. A double-disc press drill is like a double-disc drill with the addition of press
wheels. The press wheel will pack the soil over the seed once it has been placed in the ground.
Cultivator seeders are also known as air seeders and use a stream of air to place the seed onto the
field.

Threshers

There are several different types of threshers as these machines are classified based on how the
crop is fed through the machine. A feeding type in which only a part of the crop is fed into the
machine allows for the straw to remain intact but has a low throughput. A crop flow thresher moves
the crop through the thresher, where it is separated from the straw by being crushed between a drum
and outer casing. Threshing elements, or the drum in the center of the thresher, can have rasp bars,
peg teeth or wire loops attached.

Irrigation

There are several different machines that can be used for irrigation on the farm. Sprayers, pumps
and tubing are used. Irrigation water will require pumps to transfer the water through the system to
the desired field. There are several types of sprinkler systems to provide water for irrigation. These
sprinklers can be fixed in place or portable, normally towers on wheels that carry the sprinkler
system to different fields. Watering cans can even be used for smaller farm land where manual
irrigation is used.

Tractors

Tractors are used for towing, drawing and pulling heavy objects and other pieces of farm
machinery, such as tillers. There are many different types of tractors, as specific tractors were
designed for specific jobs. The compact utility tractor is used for land management and landscaping.

The backhoe loader has many uses, though it has a loader assembly on the front and a backhoe on
the back. This tractor can be used for loading trucks, construction, digging and tasks that require
very precise control. Garden tractors are small types of agricultural tractors that are used to cut
grass or for tilling, fertilizing and other tasks.