Simple Farm Tools

Back to: AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE SS1

 

Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about simple farm tools. Enjoy the class!

Simple Farm Tools     

• Examples of farm tools
• Description of simple farm tools
• Functions of tools
• Maintenance of simple farm tools

What are farm tools?

Farm tools are simple handy tools constructed by the farmer or local craftsmen to carry out some basic farming operations. Farmers who grow crops and keep animals usually use some simple tools to help make their work easier and faster.

Examples of farm tools

1.	Cutlass	2.	Hoe	3.	Bolt and nut	4.	Shovel	5.	Garden fork
6.	Hand fork	7.	Axe	8.	Screwdriver	9.	Digger	10.	Head pan
11.	Spanner	12.	Mallet	13.	Budding knife	14.	Plier	15.	Harvesting knife
16.	Crowbar	17.	Sickle	18.	Wheelbarrow	19.	Shear	20.	Emasculator
21.	Mattock	22.	Hammer	23.	Watering can	24.	Chisel	25.	Pruning saw
26.	Secateurs	27.	Rake	28.	Hand trowel	29.	Spade	30.	Manure drag

PRACTICAL/PROJECT: GET A DRAWING BOOK TO DRAW ALL 30 OF THE HIGHLIGHTED FARM TOOLS, WRITE A SHORT NOTE TO DESCRIBE THEM, STATE WAY(S) OF MAINTAINING THEM AND STATE THEIR USE(S).

Description and functions of some selected tools

1. Cutlass: This is a short metal blade tool some with curve end and a wooden or handles made of rubber. The cutlass is commonly used for land clearing, planting, weeding, and for cutting small trunks and pegs.
2. Spade & Shovel: this has a long wooden handle ending with a flat metal blade that is sharp at one end and the other D-shaped to allow for proper handling. It is used for digging the soil, spreading manure, turning and mixing the soil. Shovel blade is folded to give a scoop shape.
3. Garden Fork: this tool has four prongs or teeth made of hard metal that tapers to a point. The hard metal is about 20cm long, mounted on a long wooden handle of about 70-80cm in length. It is used mainly for digging, loosening, breaking the soil.
4. Secateurs: is a scissors-like shaped tool consisting of two short metal blades one with a concave curve and the other with a convex curve joined at a pivot with bolt and nut. It possesses two metal short wooden or metal handles with a spring in between. Mainly used for preparing stem cutting and pruning small branches of hard wooded plants for watering crops especially seedlings and flowers.
5. Emasculator: this consists of a pair of powerful pincers with plastic or metal handles. Castration of male animals by crushing their spermatic cord is done with the emasculator.

 General maintenance of farm tools

Farm tools are made of metal or wood which are strong, these tools still need very good care so that they are always suitable for use in farming. The following are ways to ensure that they are used optimally:

1. Keep in a store free of termites (for tools with wooden parts).
2. Oil or grease metal parts
3. Paint metal parts if it is to be stored for long,
4. Sharpen blunt edges regularly to get optimum result.
5. Clean or wash after each use.
6. Keep nozzles free from blockage.

Self-evaluation:

1. List seven types of farm tools used for post-planting activities.
2. How can we maintain simple farm tools?

Reading assignment

Essential Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary Schools by O.A. Iwena pages 88 – 101.

 Theory

1. Describe four tools used in carrying out pre-planting operations.
2. Which farm tool is used for pruning and preparing stem cutting?

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Farm Power.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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