How to Plow a Field
Civilization began when human beings started to turn over the soil to plant food. Plowing may have come a long way since the first human beings used their hands and digging sticks, but tilling the earth is still an important part of life and survival. Here are some things you need to know about plowing a field.
What Plowing Does
Agriculture is all about creating a sustainable source of food. Plowing prepares the land for cultivating all sorts of plants that can be used for food or raw material for other products. Plowing techniques have been around since the dawn of mankind, and is part of the many tools and innovations that made civilization what it is today.
plowingThe goal of plowing is to turn over the earth and aerate the soil, which accomplishes three things:
It makes the soil more receptive to water.
It exposes more surface area for plants to grow.
It exposes more of the soil to impart nutrients for seeds or seedlings planted in it.
Hand Plow
The hand plow is a simple tool that can be used to till small gardens, or to turn the earth over in potted plants. The simplest hand tool you can use is a digging stick, although you may also use hoes, mattocks, trowels or shovels. Hand plowing is impractical for larger plots or fields, but in poorer areas of the world, the method is still used extensively.
Animal-Powered Plows
Beasts of burden are often used in fields to plow. The weight of hoofed animals like oxen and horses can turn the land over, but they are usually yoked to a plow. The plow then digs into the land, turning it over. The farmer and the animals then proceed to plow the entire field, ready for planting. Plowing fields in this manner is still the most widespread way of plowing fields in the world.
Motor Plow
The motorized plow may be hand-held and operated like a lawnmower, or be driven on the field like a truck. Some of the largest and most powerful plows in the world can plow multiple rows, which are very useful for commercial fields. For smaller fields, a hand-held plow can get the job done.
The kind of plow that you need depends on the size of your farm and your budget. With these tools, you can plow fields and help contribute to the advancement of human civilization.