Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · 9 min read
Tillage — meaning and objectives
Tillage is the mechanical manipulation of the soil to create a favourable seed-bed.
Objectives: (1) loosen and aerate the soil; (2) control weeds and bury residues; (3) incorporate manure and fertiliser; (4) improve infiltration and water storage; (5) break hardpans and clods; (6) level the field for irrigation; (7) control pests by exposing them; (8) form ridges and furrows.
Types of tillage
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary tillage | The first, deep operation after harvest; ploughing 15–30 cm; mouldboard, disc, chisel, sub-soiler |
| Secondary tillage | Lighter operations after ploughing that refine the seed-bed: harrowing, cultivating, levelling, puddling |
| Conventional tillage | Repeated ploughing and harrowing (4–6 passes) |
| Minimum tillage | Limited operations for seed-bed and weed control; fewer passes |
| Zero tillage (no-till) | Seeds sown directly in an undisturbed soil using a zero-till drill (e.g., wheat after paddy) — saves cost, time and fuel; improves soil health |
| Conservation tillage | Leaves ≥ 30 % residue cover to reduce erosion |
| Strip tillage, ridge tillage, mulch tillage, reduced tillage | Variants |
Mouldboard plough
The traditional primary tillage tool; it cuts, lifts, inverts and pulverises a furrow slice, burying weeds and residues.
Parts
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| Share | Cuts the soil horizontally at the bottom of the furrow and lifts it (types: slip share, bar point, wing, chisel point) |
| Mouldboard | Curved surface that lifts, turns and breaks the furrow slice; shapes: general purpose, stubble, sod, digger (high-speed) |
| Landside | Flat plate that resists the side thrust and keeps the plough in line against the furrow wall |
| Frog (standard) | The base to which the share, mouldboard and landside are bolted |
| Beam | Connects the plough bottom to the hitch (the frame) |
| Coulter | A knife or disc in front of the share cutting the vertical edge of the slice and trash (rolling coulter, jointer) |
| Jointer (skim coulter) | A small plough ahead that turns the top trash into the bottom of the furrow for clean burial |
| Depth control wheel / gauge wheel | Maintains the depth |
Adjustments (for a mounted plough)
- Depth — by the top link and lift linkage or depth wheel.
- Level (side-to-side) — lift rod adjusts the plough to be square with the ground.
- Hitch (line of draft) — the pull should pass through the centre of resistance; adjustment of top link and lower link position ensures the plough runs straight with no side draft.
- Width of cut — by the hitch offset.
Draft
where = soil specific resistance (kN/m² ≈ kPa), = width of cut (m) and = depth (m). Typical for ploughing: sand 20–30, loam 30–45, clay 50–70 kN/m². Draft rises with speed (about +10–20 % per km/h) and with plough dullness, soil moisture and depth.
A 2-bottom mouldboard plough ( m) works at m in loam with kN/m² at 5 km/h.
(≈ 490 kgf). Drawbar power . With a drawbar efficiency of about 55 % relative to the engine, an engine of kW is the minimum; in practice a 25–35 hp tractor is used for margin and traction.