LPM 121: Fodder Production and Grassland Management (1+1)

CULTIVATOR

Cultivator

• Cultivator is a secondary tillage implement used to stir the ploughed land for shallow depth prior to sowing. It is popularly known as tiller. When soil has sufficient moisture, cultivator is directly used as primary tillage implement. It is the only implement that can be used for tilling the soil in between standing rows of crops.

Functions of cultivator

• It breaks the clods.
• It does weeding and intercultural operations in between standing rows of crops.
• It aerates the soil.
• It conserves soil moisture by preparing soil mulch.
• It sows seeds when provided with sowing attachment.
• Cultivator consists of 9 or 11 tynes attached to a rectangular frame. The tynes are staggered in two rows one behind the other. Spacing in between the tynes is adjustable. The bottom of the tynes are fitted with shovels, which are replacable and reversible.
• The cultivator has two heavy coiled springs fitted with each tyne. The spring loaded tynes deflect when the tynes hit obstacles in the field infested with stones and root stumps. It covers 0.40 ha/h.