A Harrow is one of the most important agricultural machinery used for soil preparation before sowing by farmers. It serves various purposes in farming from leveling of the ground with heavy soil to eliminating dead grass and to prepare a perfect seedbed to achieve perfect plant growth by providing proper aeration into the soil.
It is essential for a farmer to choose the right types of harrow as per the soil type on his farm to increase the production capacity of the soil. There are several models available in the market of a harrow such as – disc harrow, heavy duty hydraulic harrow, poly disc harrow or plough, compact model disc harrow, mounted offset disc harrow etc.
A Disc Harrow works by breaking lumps in the soil easily, efficiently and faster to provide it a rich finish. A harrow is general used as a secondary tillage equipment to give soil the final structure to make a seedbed after tilling the soil with a plough. Modern harrows are used by farmers as an attachment to the tractor and pulled behind it.
A healthily managed soil using various equipment like a harrow is the key for a productive farm. Harrowing is one of the oldest and best soil tillage practice that makes sure that soil is well-prepared. Tilling soil with a disc harrow also controls the weeds, recycles plant nutrients and provides a soft and suitable structure to place the seeds into the ground.
Advantages of Using a Disc Harrow
Disking or harrowing has many advantages which help in easier soil management. The positive effects of disking are as follows:
- It breaks up clods in the soil and surface crusts.
- Cultivates the soil very precisely.
- Improves soil aeration and surface uniformity.
- Good for eliminating the weeds and kills the already emerged weeds.
- The discs can be adjusted to any soil type.
- Pulverizing the soil thoroughly.
A farmer should choose a disc harrow based on the purpose of disking in soil preparation management. It can be used for eliminating the crop residue or simply leveling the soil.
