Land preparation
refers to the
process of preparing the soil for
planting crops.
Land preparation
It creates favorable conditions
for seed germination, seedling
growth, and crop management
by reducing weeds and soil
pathogens.
water retention,
drainage, aeration, and ease of
field operations.
what does land preparation improve
Clearing
Before tillage, it may be necessary
to clear the field of tall weeds and
other obstructions.
Clearing
This is also done to reveal the
features of the terrain which helps
in deciding the direction of tillage.
Tillage
The manipulation of the soil into a
desired condition by mechanical
means; tools are employed to
achieve some desired effect.
Tillage
It involves breaking up, turning, and
loosening the soil to improve its
structure, manage crop residues,
control weeds, and enhance water
infiltration.
Primary tillage
Initial soil preparation, such as
plowing, to break up the soil.
field capacity
when is the right moisture to start tillage
adequate power
dry plowing is possible with
Plowing
is done to incorporate weeds and
stubble underneath the soil, to cut soil into furrow
slices
to partly pulverize the soil
(still in cloddy condition)
Secodary tillage
refers to
the tillage operations
performed after primary
tillage to refine the soil for
planting.
Secondary tillage
done to further breaking up
clods, leveling the field,
controlling weeds, and
improving soil structure for
better seedbed preparation.
soil type, weed density, soil moisture content, crops to be grown, over pulverizastion should be avoided
the number of plowing and harrowing depends on
Circuitous pattern
Used with discs and offset discs, it
follows a continuous loop but leaves a central furrow that's
hard to drain and cultivate.
Up and Back pattern
Implements run parallel, ensuring
efficiency and even cultivation without furrows. Suitable for
rotavators, harrows, and reversible plows.
Gathering pattern
Plowing starts from the center and
moves outward, requiring field measurement. Works with all
plow types.
dikes
in lowland areas these are built to
retain water.
A week
how many weeks or days is the lowland field irrigated
Primary tillage
in lowland areas it is done
when the soil is moist
enough for plowing yet firm
enough for traction.
10-20 cm
soil depth for plowing for lowland areas
Disc plows and rotavators
what are commonly used in lowland areas
Submerging
done after plowing
10-14 days
how many days is submerging done
submerging
is done to soften clods and
decompose organic matter.
Puddling
is done to for the creation a
watertight layer to reduce
water loss and enhance
nutrient retention.
Leveling
is done using a wooden
plank with a draft animal or small
tractor, requiring 12 days of
water coverage.
7-8 days
how many days will it take a 2 wheel tractor to level a hectare
a smooth level
it ensures
uniform germination, improves
water coverage, and boosts crop
yield and quality.
Dry preparation
is mainly used for
upland crops but can also be applied to
lowland fields with diverse crops.
10-20 cm
soil plow depth for upland areas
harrowing
done within 2-3 days of plowing in Upland areas
upland area
this area after tillage has no puddling, macro- and
micropores are maintained, water
drains easily if there is no hardpan,
tillage is easy especially at field
capacity.
lowland area
flooding involved, puddling
involved, macropores are lost while
micropores are maintained, hardpan is
formed,
phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and
molybdenum.
less available nutrients in upland areas
copper and zinc
less available nutrients in lowland areas
Granular, mellow yet compact
enough, free of trash, field is level
a factor of a well prepared upland field
Staking
marks planting points
using twine or wire for straight
alignment.
Spacing
depends on crop variety,
shade conditions, and cropping
system.
A well planned layout
maximizes
tree density while allowing proper
growth and ease of management.
Square planting system
This planting system is
commonly followed as it is
easy to layout, and
inter-cropping and cultivation
is visible in two directions
Triangular PS
It is a system in which plants in
alternate rows are offset half
the space between plants in a
row.
Hexagonal PS
This arrangement allows
cultivation in three directions
and accommodates 15% more
trees per hectare than the
square system.
Quinconx PS
A variation of the square
system, this method adds a
filler crops at the center of
each square.
Contour PS
Used on steep hills, this method
aligns tree rows along a uniform
slope, usually at a right angle, to
minimize soil erosion.
200 meters apart
On large farms, roads should be
spaced
higher power requirements , and a posibility of implement breakage
tilling when soil is dry can cause
soil compaction, reduce soil granulation which lengthens land preparation
tilling when soil is too wet can cause
oral
indicators that the soil has enough water
hilling up
This also done to cover
fertilizers with soil after
off-barring.
Off barring
This is also done to facilitate
placement of fertilizers.