Tillage for Wheat Cultivation

Tillage for Wheat Cultivation

Preparation of land (Tillage):

1.         Wheat crop requires well pulverized but compact seedbed for good and uniform germination.
2.         The seed bed should not be cloddy or dusty.
3.         Preparatory tillage operations varies with type of cultivation i.e. whether grown as rainfed or irrigated crop.

Tillage for Dry or Rainfed Wheat Crop:

i)          Usually land is kept fallow in monsoon season.
ii)         During monsoon 3 to 5 harrowings are given to remove the weed to conserve the moisture.
iii)        Land is ploughed deep with an iron plough or tractor, once in about three years.
iv)        After cessation of monsoon one shallow harrowing is given and compaction of land is done with the help of planker just before sowing.

Tillage for Irrigated Wheat Crop:

i)          Usually wheat is taken as second crop after kharif as irrigated crop.
ii)         The field is cross ploughed by tractor after the harvest of kharif crop.
iii)        3 to 4 harrowing are given for crushing the clods and the stables of previous crop, weeds are picked to make the field clean.
iv)        One pre-soaking irrigation is given to the field 4 to 5 days prior to sowing.
v)         After wapsa condition harrowing and plankings are given to prepare final seed bed for sowing.
vi)        Saras are made with the help of sarayantra or bund former and irrigation channels are opened by running ridger between two rows of saras after sowing of wheat.