Agricultural Equipment's and Irrigation
Agricultural Equipments
The equipments used in agricultural activities are called agricultural equipments. Different equipments are required for different agricultural works. Agricultural equipments can be divided into two types. Such as -1. Hand driven agricultural equipments
2. Power driven agricultural equipments
The main equipments used in Bangladesh for agricultural activities are described as under_
Plough
Plough is one of the agricultural equipment of Bangladesh. The plough is made by fixing a iron made time to the top of curved wood. The plough is used to cultivate the land to make shallow channels.The main parts of a plough are _
1. Curved wood or body
2. Shear of blade made of iron
3. Peg and beam
4. Handle and bar
Yoke
Although a yoke is not a part of the plough, but it can be treated as a part of it. The yoke is kept on the shoulder of the ox and attached with the plough with the help of rope. A yoke is made of wood or bamboo.Harrow
A harrow is made of bamboo or wood. A harrow is used for controlling weeds, thinning of plants and loosening the soil.Weeder or khurpi
Weeder is also used largely in crop production. Weeder is necessary of cleaning the weeds and loosening the soil of the bottom of the plant.
Sickle
A sickle is used for cutting crops.
Ladder
A ladder is made of bamboo or wood. Bamboo made ladder is largely used. A Ladder mainly does 4 things, such as _1. Loosen the hard lump of soil
2. Crushes the weed
3. Levels the land
4. Brings compactness in soil
Chopper or Dao
A chopper is made of iron and is equipment used to do miscellaneous job of agriculture. A chopper is fixed with a narrow wooden handle. A chopper is heavier and thicker than a sickle.Hammer or Mugur
A hammer is used to break the big lumps of soil. A hammer has two parts such, as _1. Main part
2. Handle
Grafting Knife
A grafting knife is a specially prepared knife used for grafting. Generally this type of knife is used in nursery.
Mould Board Plough
A mould-board plough is superior to a country plough. This plough is used for deep ploughing. It has higher working capacity.
Paddle Thresher
It is a threshing equipment having mechanical advantage of a gear. It has got a drum fitted tines. The drum is rotaled by means of the paddle. When ears of crops are kept on the rotating drum the grains are separated by the strokes of the tines, thus the threshing is done. This equipment is cheap. This can be used by our general farmers.
Knap-Sack Sprayer
It is a specially made implement used for spraying insecticide. By means of this the long spray gun having a tiger can be hold at a desirable height and water-mixed pesticide can be sprayed. The equipment can be carried on the shoulder. Pests of field crops and fruit can be controlled by spraying pesticides by this equipment.
Power Driven Equipments
Among the power driven agricultural equipments the important ones are power tiller, tractor, harrow power pump, shallow, tube-well, deep tube-well, thresher and sprayers.
Power Tiller and Tractor
A kind of rotating plough is used in both power tiller and tractor. At the time of ploughing the blades of the ploughs till the soil vehemently. This allows the soil to be well-pulverizd and weeds to be destroyed. Besides using rotaling ploughed with the help of the tine ploughs of a power tiller. In case of primary ploughing when rotating ploughs do not work well tine ploughs are used.
Knap
Irrigation
Artificial application of water to the field for normal growth of crops and more production is called irrigation. Irrigation is essential for modern cultivation system.
Improved cultivation cannot be thought without irrigation. The soil should have required amount of water for maintaining the life of plants. As soon as there is shortage of water in the crop field, the necessity for irrigation becomes inevitable.
Need for Irrigation
There is sufficient rain in Bangladesh but this rain is not always helpful for agriculture. So good harvest can not always be achieved if crop is cultivated depending only on rain. In our country there is sufficient rain during rainy season, but it is not so during winter. More over there is not enough rains even during rainy season in the western regions of the country. As a result the production of crop is decreased due to want of water. In these conditions irrigation is very much important in order to get increased production by cultivating crops.
Objectives of Irrigation
The followings are the objectives of irrigation -
1. To keep the plant nutrient elements in the soil in soluble form.
2. To help in decomposition of organic matters.
3. To control soil salinity
4. To control soil temperature
5. To increase crop or yield.
Irrigation Methods
There are different methods of irrigation. The method is selected depending on certain issues. The issues are _
1. Type of soil and slop of land
2. Sources of water
3. Type of crop and cropping pattern
4. Financial condition of farmer
The irrigation can be divided into main four, such as_
1. Surface irrigation method
2. Sub- soil irrigation method
3. Sprinkle or irrigation method
4. Drip irrigation method
Surface Irrigation Method
This method of irrigation is followed in almost all countries of the world. In our country surface irrigation is done in maximum case to irrigate crop-field surface irrigation is of 6 types, Such as
1. Flood irrigation system
2. Furrow irrigation system
3. Ridge irrigation system
4. Barrage and channel irrigation system
5. Corrugation irrigation system
6. Band circular irrigation system
1. Flood Irrigation System
In this method, water is brought to the upper portion of the land with the help of main channel and then is spread evenly throughout the whole land field. Water is retained in the field by means of making ridges surrounding the field. Much area can be irrigated with minimum labour in this method.
2. Furrow Irrigation System
In this method water is supplied to the branch canals from the main channel, this system are followed in case of fields where crops are sown in lines. The main advantage of furrow irrigation system is that sufficient areas can be irrigated with some amount of water.3. Ridge or Border System
By ridge system the land is separated into small blocks with the help of ridges and then the blocks are irrigated by flood system. In this method water can be controlled more easily.Furrow
4. Barrage and Channel/Canal etc.
This method of irrigation followed in case of slope land. Firstly some channel are dug crosswise to the slope of the land. Water is released to the higher channel from the source of water. In order to spread water throughout the whole field a sort of cross dam to be made at the end of each channel. In the barrage and canal system of irrigation water can be controlled very easily.
5. Corrugation Irrigation System
In corrugation irrigation system channels are dug in the land. These channels are made at such distances that the land between two can get sufficient water. This system is very advantageous in case of clay type of soils.6. Bank or Circular Irrigation System
This system is applicable for the plant which lives years together. In this system first of all, main channel is dug in between the rows of trees. Then circular channel are dug centering the bottom of each tree. Afterwards the circular are connected with the main ones by digging small channels. This channel type of irrigation is done in fruit orchards.Sub-Soil Irrigation System
Sub-soil irrigation is a special type of irrigation. In this system irrigation is done to the root areas of the plants with the help of tubes. The main advantage of this system is that the top soil don't form crust.Sprinkling Irrigation System
The method by which irrigation is done in the form of rain is called sprinkling irrigation. In this system water is supplied with the help of pipes and is sprinkled in all directions with the help of a nozle. This system is good in case of uneven and slope land.
Drip System of Irrigation
The method by which water is suplied to the base of the plant by drops, is called drip system of irrigation. As water is supplied always to the base of the plant by drops. It is also called constant irrigation. By irrigating though this system, there will be no want of moisture in the soil.Time of Irrigation to the Crop Field
Irrigation is to be after determining moisture of the soil. Because when irrigation is done in presence of moisture in the field, there will be wastage of water and the soil will be waterlogged. Both are detrimental. Again irrigation water will not help the crop when it is done after soil is extremely dried. Hence timely irrigation is to be done for the normal growth and increased production of crops. If the soil collected from areas 10 to 25 cm beneath the surface forms ball when pressed with hands, then it can be ascertained. The soil has got moisture. And if the soil becomes powder then it can be ascertained that is the time for irrigation.Irrigation Equipments
Different equipments are used in Bangladesh for irrigating crop fields. Description some of the equipments are given here under.
1. Sheuti
The triangular Sheuti is made of Bamboo, cane or tin. Sheuti has been in use in this country from ancient time.2. Don
Don is made of the basal portion of palm tree or of wood which looks like slender boat. This has also been in use in this country from ancient time.3. Treadle Pump
A treadle pump is a one or two cylinder pump having plastic lids.A bamboo having a filter is inserted under the soil. Then the pump is connected with the mouth of the pipe of the bamboo. Afterwards two bamboos are fixed to the pump like lever. Water is raised by operating the lever instrument with the leg just like a treadle husking equipment. This is a very popular pump.
4. Centrifugal Pump
This is a very widely used power driven irrigation equipment. Irrigation is done by lifting water from rivers and subsoil by using centrifugal pumps with low lift pumps (LLP), Shallow tube-wells (STW), and deep tube wells (DTW).Drainage of Water
This is a method of allowing the excess water to go out from the crop field. Excess water is very harmful for the crop. Hence excess rain or irrigation water should be drained out from the land as soon as possible.Importance of Drainage
Although plain, most lands of Bangladesh are uneven. During rainy season when there is excessive rain water stands on these is excessive rain water stands on these lands. As a result timely cultivation becomes impossible. Moreover, every year vast areas remain waterlogged due to flood. If timely cultivation is to be done in these lands the accumulated water is to be drained out. Water accumulated mostly in case of lands of following characteristics.1. Land having day soils
2. Uneven land stope
3. Land having hard layer In order to increase crop production timely draining out of water is necessary.
Harmful Affects of Excess Water
1. Hinders plant growth2. Spreads diseases and pests
3. Plant root can not spread well
4. Beneficial micro-organisms can not increases their population
5. Plant nutriments are destroyed
6. Soil temperature is decreased.
Methods of Water Drainage
Drainage can be done in two methods, such as _1. Open canal method
2. Closed canal method
Open Canal Method
Generally in our country drainage of water from cultivated land is done by open canal. In this method first of all canals are dug in advantageous places. Draining out of water, Canals are to be dug maintaining slopes. Small canals can be connected with the main canal required.
Closed Canal Method
The method by which canal is dug inside the soil under covered condition and draining out of water is done through that canal is called closed canal method of drainage. The main advantage of closed canal method is that no land is wasted in this method. This method is of three types, such as -1. Tile drainage
2. Box drainage
3. Stone drainage
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