Farm Power & Machinery

Methods of ploughing

In order to provide furrows at all times on the right hand side of the plough, two method of working are used called Gathering and Castering (Fig.11.2).
Gathering - Whenever a plough works round a strip of ploughed land, it is said to be gathering.
Casting- Whenever a plough works round a strip of unploughed land, it is said to be casting. Ploughing of a field by casting or gathering alone is normally uneconomical. The following are a few important methods used in tractor ploughing.



Fig.9.2 Line diagram if plouging methods

Continuous ploughing method

• In normal conditions, the continuous ploughing method (Fig. 11.3) is considered very convenient and economical.
  
• This is a method usually used in which the tractor and plough never run idle for more than three quarter land width along the headland and never turn in a space narrower than a quarter land width.
  
• In this method, first the headland is marked and the first ridge is set up at three quarter of a land width from the side.
  
• The other ridges are set at full width over the field. The operator starts ploughing between the first ridge and the side land.
  
• The operator continues to turn left and cast in the three quarter land until a quarter land width of ploughing is completer on each side.
  
• At this stage, it is important to lift the plough to half depth for last trip down the side land of the field.
  
• This leaves a shallow furrow where the finish comes.


Fig. 11.3 Line diagram of Continuous ploughing method

• After this, the driver turns right and gathers round the land already ploughed on the first ridge.
• Gathering is continued till the unploughed strip in first three-quarter land has been ploughed and completed.
• This gathering reduces the first full land by a quarter.
• The remaining three quarter land can be treated in exactly the same manner as the original three quarter land.
• This process is repeated for all other lands in the field.
Round and round ploughing

• In this method, the plough moves round and round a field.
• This system is adopted under conditions where ridges and furrows interfere with cultivation work.
• The field can be started in two ways.
a) Starting at the centre

• A small plot of land is marked in the middle of the field and it is ploughed first. After that, the plough works round this small plot and the entire plot is completed. This is not a very economical method.
b) Starting at the outer end

• Tractor starts ploughing at one end of the field and then moves on all the sides of the plot and comes gradually from the sides to the centre of the field.
  
• Wide diagonals are left unploughed to avoid turning with the plough.
• There are no back furrows in this method.
  
• Conventional ploughing is usually done by this method.
One way ploughing

• This system requires the use of a special type of plough known as reversible plough or one way plough.
  
• Such a plough turns furrows to the left or right.
  
• After the headland has been marked, the operator plough along a straight side land mark.
  
• At the end of the first trip, he turns his tractor in a loop and returns down the same furrow.
  
• No dead and back furrows are left in the field. In gently sloping fields, this method is suitable.