Farms are significant sources of food and livelihood. Without them, we have to import a lot of things to live comfortably. While importing goods have been around for a long time, their prices are usually high compared to if we just made the goods on our own land instead. Agriculture is an industry that is commonly associated with growing produce, but this does not only concern crops and other plant-derived resources. It is also a term used to raise livestock for human consumption. It may also involve processing raw produce into other materials that may be needed for different industries.
Development of agriculture
Agriculture began from domesticating the plants and animals that we know today. Domestication is a biological process in which an organism is hand-picked and developed to have better characteristics, like how watermelons can have juicier fruit meat and fewer seeds.
Animal breeding and plant hybridisation are products of agriculture. Ancient civilisations have learned how to harness mass production of plant produce through propagation. In fruit-bearing plants, the farmer picks the plants with better yield, and then they plant it or propagate it together with plants that have good characteristics. In animal breeding, the same concept is applied; they select animals with the best attributes and are bred with animals of the same species.
Types of machine used in farming
Agriculture is a backbreaking industry. Manual labour is not enough to manage hundreds of crops and animals no matter how many the staff is. Good thing, there are farm machinery and technology that can help the agricultural sector with managing crops and livestock.
-
Tractor
Tractors are a common sight in agricultural farms. They are used to mechanise tasks and haul trailers or other types of farm implements as attachments, which makes them a piece of versatile equipment. They come in a different range of sizes and colours, but their function is more important more than anything.
-
Cultivator
This heavy machinery is used in soil cultivation which prepares the earth for planting the crops. There are general types of cultivators: the dragged teeth cultivators that pierce the soil, and rotary cultivators which can be also be used to remove the weeds while tilling the ground.
-
Ploughs
There are different kinds of ploughs that are needed for various applications and soil type. The ploughs are used for soil cultivation by preparing the soil before planting the crops. Ploughing the earth after tilling brings the fresh nutrients from below the ground, which will be needed by the plants.
-
Seed drills and spreaders
Traditional seed drills are an attachment to the tractors, which helps in distributing the seeds after soil preparation. Most seed drills are used for growing grains, legumes, and grasses. Spreaders, on the other hand, are also a seed distribution machine, but it is mostly used to spread low or cover crops like grasses.
These are just some of the machines that can be used to make farming crops easier. Other equipment can be used depending on a farmer’s need. Better that they visit or contact a manufacturer or distributor to get them exactly what they need because these machines vary in size and function.