Test Your Knowledge on Modern Farming Tools!

The spring-tooth harrow, with its numerous teeth and specific shape, is effective for cultivating rough and stony soil. It performs well around bulky tree roots, ensuring thorough soil preparation.

A “backhoe” refers to the digging bucket and its swinging arm. Some vehicles, like tractors, can function as both a backhoe and a front-end loader. If the vehicle is solely designed for a backhoe, it is called an excavator.

Wooden shovels dating back to around 2,000 BCE have been found. Before these, archaeologists believe that large animal shoulder and pelvic bones were used for digging and soil removal.

The sickle, an ancient farming tool still in use today, has a short handle and curved blade, making it ideal for cutting and gathering grain simultaneously.

Plows are crucial for breaking up and turning over soil. They have been pulled by humans and animals for thousands of years before tractors were used. The prehistoric tool used before the plow was the digging stick.

A roller is used after plowing to break up and flatten the raised soil without compacting it. Rolling helps with weed control and improves the soil's moisture retention.

Pitchforks have long handles and curved tines, typically with either two or three tines. Two-tined pitchforks are used by skilled users, while three-tined versions offer more grip for less-experienced users.

The first commercially made combine harvester was developed in 1885. It reaps crops, threshes them to separate grain from chaff, and winnows to remove chaff and debris from the grain, performing the tasks of three sets of farm workers.

Sprayers are used to apply liquids like fertilizers to crops. They come in various forms, including backpack models and those pulled through fields. Larger self-propelled sprayers may have sensors to automatically adjust their height over the crops.

A disc harrow is used after plowing to break up clods and even out the soil. Discs are arranged in groups called gangs on steel shafts and are pulled by a tractor.