Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
4 months old) will suppress the weeds and ensures the availability of all nutrients to
the crop. This practice also helps to destroy the weed and insect pests and improve
the fertility of soil.
In the waterlogged areas having Karail soil, organic matter cannot be added to
the soil due to transportation problems. The weeds are uprooted, made into small
bundles, and pushed inside the soil with the roots above the ground. This practice
increases the soil fertility (Singh 2003). The weeds obtained from the upland of a
paddy crop are, however, used as fodder for the animals because under such condi-
tion, it takes more time for weeds to decay, and also, animals relish fodder.
13.3.7 t illaGe p raCtiCeS
Farmers perceive that even after applying a good amount of manures and fertilizers,
if the soil is not tilled adequately, its productivity declines (Singh et al. 2002, 2003).
Generally, in most of the cash crops like sugarcane and potato, farmers try to provide
more and more light tillage under irrigated conditions for good aeration and destroy-
ing weeds and insect pests. Tillage and plowing are both determined by the crop
variety, types of soil, and economic conditions of the farmers. Hundreds of varieties
of wooden plows were used by ancient farmers in India across the country designed
as per the soil type and type of bullocks, some of which are still used in many parts
(Figure 13.5).
FIGURE 13.5 Traditional plows used in India for tillage and seeding. (Reprinted from
www.google.com/images_traditionalploughs . With permission.)
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