LAND PREPARATION

Importance secondary cultivation

Break large clods to reasonable tilth
Allow easy planting
To level the field in order to achieve a uniform depth at planting
Kill weeds
Mix up organic matter in the soil Improve soil aeration

Factors determining the number of times secondary cultivations should be done include:

 Condition of the soil after primary cultivation

 Size of planting material

 Slope of the land

 The moisture content of the soil

Primary and secondary cultivation

What are the reasons for carrying out primary and secondary cultivation?

Reasons for for carrying out primary and secondary cultivation

 Kill weeds

 Decompose weeds into organic matter

 Allow enough time for carbon dioxide and other gases to diffuse out of the soil while being
replaced by oxygen which is important for germination and growth of soil organism.
  Break the soil into appropriate tilth for the required seed bed

TERTIARY OPERATIONS

Minimum Tillage
This is the application that combines all farming practices aimed at least disturbance of the soil.

The operations include:

Application of herbicides
Use of mulch on the soil surface
Restricting cultivation to the area where seed are to be planted
Establishing cover crop on the field
Uprooting or slashing weeds in perennial crops.

Mowing weeds during minimum tillage

Mowing land for planting

Reasons for carrying out minimum tillage

 To prevent exposure of humus to adverse conditions such as the suns heat that cause
volatilisation of nitrogen

 To maintain soil structure

 To control soil erosion

 To conserve moisture

 Prevent disturbance of roots

  Reduce cost of operations

Mulching for minimum tillage

Mulch for soil conservation

Tertiary operations
These are operations carried out to suit the preparation of given seedbed used when producing certain
crops.Examples of such operations include:-

 Ridging

 Rolling

 Levelling

See the movie and discuss activities in the operation