10 Inventions in Agricultural Machinery That Facilitate Work
Agricultural mechanization saves time and money for farmers and helps them increase crop yields. Here are 10 inventions in agricultural machinery that facilitate work: 1. The combine.
1. The plow
Plowing is a way to loosen and turn the soil in order to plant crops. It was traditionally done with oxen or horses, but in modern times is usually done by tractors.
The plow has many different parts, but the most important is the moldboard. This is a curved iron plate that lifts and turns the soil as it is cut by the plow share. It also helps to distribute the force of the plow over a larger area.
John Deere may get most of the credit for the steel plow, but the idea was actually invented by a blacksmith named John Lane. He sought to solve the problem of sticky Midwest soil that clung to cast-iron plows, requiring farmers to stop every few feet to scrape it off. Lane's solution was a self-scouring moldboard. The plow became far more efficient and helped to reshape farming as we know it today.
2. The combine
The combine, also called a harvester or a threshing machine, is a complex farm machine that cuts and threshes grain crops like wheat, barley, rice, oats, rye, corn (maize), soybeans, flax (linseed) and sunflowers. Its most important contribution is that it reduces manpower needed and greatly speeds up the harvesting process.
It was originally invented in Scotland in 1826 by Reverend Patrick Bell who designed a reaper machine that used a type of scissors to cut plants but did not patent his invention. Hiram Moore later patented the first U.S. combine in 1935.
The modern combine combines reaping, threshing and winnowing into a single process. The crop is cut by a header at the front and then fed into the main part of the combine. The chaff and straw are then separated into different bins.
3. The tractor
The tractor is one of the most significant innovations in agricultural machinery. It allows farmers to work much more efficiently than they could without it.
It also reduces labor costs and improves crop yields. Moreover, it helps to prevent accidents by reducing the number of humans in the field.
Among the other innovations that made tractors more useful were rubber tires, which lessened the damage done to fields and reduced the force required to turn the tractor. Then came the power lift, which allowed the implement to be raised before each turn by pulling a lever.
Before the tractor, farmers used oxen or horses to pull plows and complete other tasks. These animals needed to be fed and rested, which limited the amount of work they could do each day. The advent of the tractor allowed farms to grow larger and more productive.
4. The hay baler
There are many different types of balers. Some make small square bales that are pushed up a chute and stacked on a wagon, while others produce large round bales. Round bales are easier to transport, but they require special equipment to handle.
Before the hay baler, hay was cut manually and gathered into a haystack in a barn. This process was time-consuming and labor intensive, as it required the use of a hay fork.
With a hay baler, the forage is bundled and tied into a square or round shape, wrapped in twine or wire, and then slung on a trailer or truck. Today, large round balers are the most popular type of baler. They are favored by custom balers, who bale hay for resale, and by corporate farms that have larger tractors that can power them.
5. The sprayer
Spraying a crop is an essential part of agriculture. It is used to apply fertilizers, pesticides and other liquids to plants. Agricultural machinery and technology can make this process faster, easier and more efficient.
There are many types of sprayers on the market. Some are powered by electricity while others are operated with a compressed air. They usually have a tank for the liquid to be sprayed, an air pump and a nozzle that can be adjusted.
A self-propelled spray machine is a great option for farmers who want to save time and energy. It works with a Honda multipurpose engine and is easy to operate. It also has a large storage capacity and allows a larger volume of liquid to be sprayed at once. It is also more environmentally friendly than a manual sprayer. Moreover, it requires less maintenance.
6. The mower
The mower, also known as a lawn mower or grass cutter, is an agricultural machine that uses blades to cut and shape grass surfaces to desired heights. Pushed from behind, rotary mowers have a blade that is mounted in a case and supported by wheels that roll over the grass. The case is shaped to effectively eject the cut grass.
Previously, a skilled farmer using a scythe could harvest only one to two acres per day. However, with mechanical reapers, a single man can harvest much more.
Jethro Tull’s seed drill of 1701 marked the first major change to agricultural equipment by combining multiple tasks into an integrated tool that accomplished them more quickly and precisely than human hands could. This foreshadowed many of the more advanced inventions to come in agriculture. This was the beginning of a trend toward larger-scale machinery for tackling more complex farming tasks.
7. The harrow
The harrow is a farm machinery that helps farmers prepare the soil for planting. It is used to level heavy soil and eliminate weeds. Harrows also help improve the quality of the soil by aerating it and removing organic materials.
It is important for agriculture because it breaks up the clods of soil and creates a uniform surface. It can also help promote plant growth by enhancing soil ventilation.
Harrows can be used with either a disk or spring-tooth plough. The spring-tooth plow leaves furrows, or parallel trenches, across the field while the disc harrow cuts up large clumps of soil and smoothes the surface. These inventions have made farming much easier and efficient. They also make it possible for farmers to grow a variety of different crops with ease. This has led to an increase in agricultural production around the world.
8. The rototiller
Agricultural machinery can take care of many menial and recurring tasks, freeing farmers to focus on other aspects of the job. From crop harvesting and planting, to irrigation and livestock herd management, automation makes farming more efficient.
Originally, power for agricultural machinery was provided by oxen or other animals. Then portable steam engines were developed. These were later replaced by traction engines, which could pull multiple gangplows and threshing machines in large fields.
General purpose tractors emerged during the 1920s. They pulled heavy tillage and harvesting machines and were also used to plant and cultivate row crops. This was a major milestone in the mechanization of American agriculture. Today, the rototiller is still an important piece of farm equipment. However, it has become more versatile than its predecessors. It can be used for weeding, mixing fertilizers and other substances, or leveling ground for a building.
9. The hoe
The hoe is a hand tool with a blade set at right angles to a long handle, often wooden. Its ancestor was the picklike mattock or digging stick. Modern hoes include a wide variety of shapes, including rotary hoes that can hoe many rows at once.
Early cutting devices like scythes and sickles have given way to self-propelled mowers, windrowers, cutters and field choppers. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides have also boosted crop production.
McCormick’s reaper helped revolutionize American agriculture. And while he is perhaps best known for the plow, his innovations in other machinery, including grain drills and threshing machines, are equally important. Moreover, his emphasis on the scientific method and his research into peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes enriched our food supply.
10. The tiller
The tiller, also known as a rotavator or rotary tiller, is a piece of agricultural machinery that helps break up soil. This makes it easier to plant and cultivate crops. It is a powerful and heavy machine that replaces hand tools such as mattocks and shovels.
The best agricultural equipment is designed to perform reliably under a variety of field conditions. It should prepare a satisfactory seedbed, destroy early weed growth and minimize erosion potential. It should also allow for the consistent planting of seeds and provide a timely harvest. In addition, the machinery should be affordable and able to work efficiently in order to increase crop yields and quality. It should be able to reduce the overall machinery ownership costs such as interest on investment, property taxes, insurance and machinery housing. The tillage, planting, weed control and harvesting machines must also be suitable for the farm’s size to avoid unnecessary costs.
