_____________________________________

____________________

CROP SCIENCE 2
EXERCISE 2:
Tillage and Planting Equipment

__________________________
__________________________
__________________________

I.

Worksheet 1.1

Instructions:

Describe the function(s) and label the parts of tillage and

planting equipment shown.

1. Animal-drawn moldboard plow

Function(s): It is used for primary tillage operation and is pulled by an
animal, usually a carabao.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/Editorial/Articles/Ma
gazine%20Articles/1974/05-01/Walking%20Plows%20Types%20of%20Plows
%20and%20Choosing%20Equipment/027-076-01-common-walking-plow.jpg

2. Tractor-drawn moldboard plow

Function(s): ): It is used for primary tillage operation and is pulled by a
tractor.

http://mrbtractors.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/415_integral_2_bot
tom_plow.75193541_large.jpg

3. Disc plow

Function(s): For primary tillage and is especially useful in hard and dry,
trashy, stony or stumpy land conditions and in soil where scouring is a
major problem.

https://sc01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB10WqoGFXXXXa4aXXXq6xXFXXXs/2028
73962/HTB10WqoGFXXXXa4aXXXq6xXFXXXs.jpg
4. Disc harrow
Function(s): It is used to till the soil where crops are to be planted. It is
also used to chop up unwanted weeds or crop remainders.

http://www.ruralking.com/media/wysiwyg/angle_frame_disc_diagram.jpg

5. Spike-tooth harrow
Function(s across t): It cuts through clods, manure, and grasses to
break up material into finer pieces so that it can be spread evenly he
ground.

http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/pluginfile.php/131313/mod_page/content/1/
fig_1.jpg

6. Comb-tooth harrow
Function(s): It is used for breaking clods after initial plowing, with
subsequent operations prior to transplanting and for puddling and
leveling.

7. Rotavator
Function(s): Has a very aggressive action, which pulverizes the soil and
buries weeds and crop residues. In some flooded situations rotovators
are used for primary tillage.

8. Furrower
Function(s): It is used to turn over the upper layer of the soil, bringing
fresh nutrients to the surface, while burying weeds.

9. Lithao
Function(s): It is an implement used for making small parallel furrows.

10.
Planting hole digger
Function(s): A tool for digging a planting hole for planting a rooted
plant in a garden or landscape area, includes cutting edges that may
be pressed into the planting area by a user standing in an upright
position.

II.

Study Questions

A. Why is sub-soiling needed in soils with hard pans?

Sub-soiling is very deep tillage. It extends to about 12 to 18 inches
below the soil surface to break up the hard pan. Sub-soiling provides
soil aeration and improved soil drainage. Standing water, flooding, runoff, and topsoil erosion is reduced or possibly even eliminated. After
the hard pan is broken, seed germination will increase, plant root
growth will improve, and the crops will be much healthier.
B. Show that a triangular system has 15% more plants than a square
system using the same distance of planting by computing the number
of plants in each system.

If we give specific values for the Area (A) and planting distance (s) as A
= 1 000m2 and s = 5 m 2 then substituting these values to the given
formulas for number of plants in each system we will observe the ff:
For Triangular System: Triangular System= S/d2 x 0.866
S= Unit surface
d= length of the triangle side
No. of plants (Np) = A/(s 2x 0.866)
= 1 000 m2/(5 m2x 0.866)
= 1 000 m 2/4.33 m 2
231 plants
For Square System: S/L2 No. of plants (Np) = A/s2
= 1 000 m2/5 m2
=200 plants231 plants 200 plants
= 31 plants(31 plants/ 200 plants) x 100%
15%
Based on the result of the computation, there were 15% more
plants in the triangular system than the square system.

C. Why should we add well-decayed organic matter and basal fertilizer to

the soil before transplanting seedlings or grafted plants of perennial

crop species?
Organic matter helps produce stable soil structures and adds nutrients
to the soil. If the soil does not contain enough nutrients for optimum
crop growth you need to add fertilizer. It is always worthwhile to check
the nutrient content of your soil by analysis before adding extra
nutrients. If levels are not sufficient the crop does not grow as fast and
returns will be reduced.

D. What are the different adaptive tillage operations? Characterize each.

Deep tillage- turns out large sized clods, which are baked by the hot
sun when it is done in summer. These clods crumble due to alternate
heating and cooling and due to occasional summer showers. This

process of gradual disintegration of clods improves soil structure.

Sub soiling- hard pans may be present in the soil which restrict root
growth of crops. These may be silt pans, iron or aluminum pans, clay

pans or -man-made pans. Man-made pans are tillage pans induced by

repeated tillage at the same depth. Root growth of crops is confined to
top few centimeters of soil where deep penetration of roots is inhibited

by hard pans.
Year-round Tillage- tillage operations carried out throughout the year.
Secondary Tillage- lighter or finer operations performed on the soil
after primary tillage are known as secondary tillage. After plowing, the
fields are left with large clods with some weeds and stubbles partially

uprooted.
Layout of Seedbed and Sowing- after the seedbed preparation, the
field is laid out properly for irrigation and sowing or planting seedlings.

These operations are crop specific.

Layout of Seedbed- tillage operations that are carried out in the
standing crop are called after tillage. It includes drilling or side dressing
of fertilisers, earthing up and intercultivation.

E. Differentiate between minimum and zero tillage.

Minimum tillage is a soil conservation system with the goal of
minimum soil management necessary for a successful crop production.
It is a tillage method that does not turn the soil over. It is contrary to

intensive tillage, which changes the soil structure using plows; while
No-till farming mimics the natural soil conditions compared to other
methods of farming. The soil is left in peace apart from where the
seeds are placed which preserves the soil.

III.

Each student will submit a (1) narrative report of their

experience on transplanting of rice and direct-seeding of
corn. Students should also prepare a (2) written report of
the field practices conducted during the different growth
stages of lowland rice.

1. Narrative Report

Last Wednesday morning, August 24, 2016 our class of CRSC 2

UV-3L did our first planting activity, we left our room after about an
hour-long pre-laboratory discussion and then proceeded to the field
near the ASC building. Though it rained a little before we went out, the
weather seemed to clear out a bit when we got to the fields. When we
got there we were already on our working clothes. Every one of us
opted to wear slippers and shorts for the activity. I wore a sports short
and changed into slippers too because I was originally wearing shoes
since I drove my motorcycle to class. The first instruction we got when
we arrived was to put our bags on the table. And then we walked to the
actually planting area and where instructed to take off our slippers, as
to avoid losing them. Finally, we then walked barefooted to the rice
field. One of the first things I noticed there was that the field was
marked with drawn squares with specific distances. Kuya Darwin, our
instructor, instructed that all those that had injuries and wounds near
the leg and foot area should not dive into the mud so that they would
avoid infection, instead, they would just serve as throwers of the
Dapog, rice that we would be transplanting. He then instructed that
the ladies should go first because it would be harder to get to the
farther parts of the field for them. After all the girls have dove into the
mud, I was finally able to get in as well. After I finally got to take my
place I was given my share of Dapog, Kuya Darwin then instructed us
to plant 2 to 3 pieces of Dapog per intersection of the squares. For a
while it took quite some time before our class could all get the hang of
what we were doing. Many of them were screaming and complaining at
first but after some time, everyone was able to do their task. However
one of my classmates was wounded by a snails shell when she
stepped down the mud. She was then immediately taken to the
infirmary because her wound looked quite bad. As we were planting
and moving backwards in the weird textured mud at the field it was
noticeable that the temperature of the mud was not consistent

because that near where my class dove in, the mud felt cool but as we
gradually stepped back it got warmer. The mud felt weird because it
felt uneven and mushy yet it still had some hard objects mixed in, and
the smell wasnt all that pleasing. After I finished my assigned area, my
friend who was positioned next to me asked for help since he said he
could move anymore so I helped him finish the back of his assigned
area. When I finally got of the mud I immediately went to go wash my
hands and feet. I first walked barefoot to the area where most of my
finished classmates where washing off but since the area was full, I
went to go wash somewhere else, luckily, the area next to where my
classmates where was empty so I just went ahead and cleaned myself
there. After that I came back to the rice field to see what was going on
and to retrieve my slippers. I honestly didnt think that I would have
fun but I did, a big part of it was probably because I was able to joke
around and have fun with my classmates while working. All in all it was
a great experience that I wouldnt forget anytime soon.
2. Written Report
From seedling stage to the maximum tillering stage, these are
the vegetative phase of the rice. There are two types of seedling stage.
Usually in the Southern Tagalog or in CALABARZON they usually use
the dapog; they are 9-14 days of age before they are ready for
transplanting. Dapog seedlings are not prone to transplanting shock
but they are susceptible to golden snail because they are small, soft
and young. The second type is the wet bed seedling or punla, the age
of the seedling for transplanting is 20-25 days. It is not eaten by kuhol
or snails because it is quite big and tall but it has a transplanting shock
of 1 week. It is usually cut to prevent lodging because it usually falls
during the windy days and to also prevent transpiration. The next
stage is the tillering stage wherein the palay is 45-50 days old, 3
weeks after transplanting the operation is started like weeding and

cleaning the field. Others put fertilizer at the last harrowing during land
preparation, the next application of fertilizers is usually at the tillering
stage and they side-dress nitrogen.
If necessary, third application of fertilizer can be done until
panicle initiation. From panicle initiation to the flowering stage, these
are the reproductive phase of the rice. In panicle initiation, the plant is
already thick and the overlapping of leaves can be observed which
cause the bottom part of the plant to be shaded and the weeds do not
grow. The leaves are already thick and there is stem-elongation, this is
the stage wherein the plant begins to show signs of reproduction. After
10 days, there is the booting stage, wherein the leaves of the plant
become brittle so the farmers cannot enter the field to prevent the
breakage of the leaves. This is the stage wherein the plant is already
pregnant and the stems are more round and the plug leaf has
emerged. After the booting stage, there is the flowering stage where
pollination and fertilization takes place, the pollens are already
exposed therefore another reason why the farmers should not enter
the field. Usually the pest management is applied at this stage; the
field is monitored because after the flowers bloom, insects and pest
are attracted to it like the rice bug and rats; which attack during the
night.
The next stage is the milking stage or the soft-dough stage. From
soft dough stage to matured stage is called the ripening phase, this is
where the farmers wait for the rice to ripen and for harvest. The
milking stage is critical in pest management wherein they spray
pesticides until this stage because this is where a lot of rice bugs or
atangya attacks; they sip on/suck at the rice because it is still liquid
and looks like milk. The next stage is the hard dough stage, the panicle
is already bent which means that it is already filled and waiting to
ripen. This is the stage where usually the field is drained so the
working condition would be good for harvesting, and the soil would be

hard. After a few days the rice is in its maturity stage wherein it is
ready for harvest and 80% of the grain is ripe.
The harvested grains are soaked into running water for 36-48
hours so it will not ferment and become sour or decay. After 48 hours it
is then ready for incubation together with kakawate which is used to
hasten the ripening of mangoes because it contains ethylene so it
becomes hot, it is the incubated for 24 hours. Then it will be ready for
sowing; the maturity of the palay begins at the date of sowing. The
distribution of the seeds in the punlaan is 4-5 seeds thick wherein the
bed is not visible. The preparation for dapog is 1 to 1.5 meter wide of
bed it still depends on how much you need. If you will plant in 1
hectare of land, you have to prepare 15-25 square meter of bed. The
seed requirement is 4-5 kilograms of seeds per hectare. While in wetbed, the same procedure is also done and we need 300-500 square
meter of bed per hectare and the seed requirement is 35-45 kilograms
of seeds per hectare. There is plastic on the bed so there will be no
direct contact of roots to the soil and we can easily roll the dapog and
will be easy for transplanting. While in direct-seeding, the seedsling is
uprooted a day before transplanting, it is then bundled and the upper
part is cut and then it is ready for transplanting.