Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
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AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
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Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 11
Grade code: 2.1.3.LI.2
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 2.1.3.CS.2
Indicator code: 2.1.3.LI.2
Theme: NEW DAWN AGRICULTURE
Subtheme: AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
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This lesson introduces students to the world of agricultural machinery, a critical component of modern farming. In Ghana, where agriculture is the backbone of our economy, moving from the traditional hoe and cutlass to mechanised farming is essential for increasing food production, reducing labour, and making agriculture a profitable business. We will explore the different machines used at each stage of crop production, from preparing the land to harvesting the final produce. Understanding these machines is the first step towards transforming our nation's agriculture for a food-secure future.
A. What is Agricultural Mechanization? Definition: Agricultural mechanization is the use of machinery and equipment to improve the efficiency of farming operations. It involves replacing human and animal power with engine power. This ranges from using simple tools to complex machines like tractors and combine harvesters. Importance in Ghana: Increased Productivity: One tractor can plough an area of land much faster than dozens of farmers using hoes. This allows farmers to cultivate larger areas and produce more food. Timeliness: Farming operations like planting and harvesting must be done at the right time. Machinery ensures these tasks are completed quickly, avoiding losses due to weather changes. Reduced Drudgery: Mechanization reduces the hard physical labour associated with farming, making it a more attractive profession, especially for the youth. Improved Quality: Machines can perform tasks like planting seeds at uniform depths and spacing, leading to better crop stands and higher yields. B. Classification of Farm Machinery
We can classify farm machinery based on the specific tasks they perform during the crop production cycle. Land Preparation (Tillage) Machinery: These are used to prepare the soil for planting. Tillage involves breaking up the soil, removing weeds, and creating a suitable seedbed. Tractor: Function: The tractor is the primary power source on a mechanised farm. It does not perform tillage itself but provides the power to pull or operate other implements. How it works: It uses an internal combustion engine (usually diesel) to generate power, which is transmitted to the wheels to move the tractor and to a Power Take-Off (PTO) shaft at the back to power attached implements. Plough (e.g., Mouldboard Plough): Function: Used for *primary tillage*. It cuts, lifts, and turns over the soil to bury weeds and crop residues, aerate the soil, and bring nutrients to the surface. How it works: As the tractor pulls it, the sharp edge (ploughshare) cuts into the soil, and the curved part (mouldboard) turns the slice of soil over. Harrow (e.g., Disc Harrow): Function: Used for *secondary tillage*. After ploughing, the soil is often in large lumps or clods. The harrow breaks these clods into smaller pieces, levels the field, and removes any remaining weeds, creating a fine tilth for planting. How it works: It consists of rows of steel discs that are pulled by a tractor. The discs rotate, cutting and breaking up the soil clods. Ridger: Function: Used to create ridges and furrows. This is very important in Ghana for planting crops like yam, cassava, maize, and groundnuts. Ridges help with water management and harvesting of tuber crops. How it works: It has two mouldboards facing away from each other, which push the soil up into a mound or ridge as the tractor moves forward. Planting Machinery: These machines are designed to place seeds or seedlings in the soil accurately and efficiently. Planter (e.g., Maize Planter): Function: Sows seeds in rows at specific distances from each other. They are used for large seeds like maize, beans, and cowpea. How it works: It opens a small furrow, drops a seed (or a set number of seeds) at a predetermined interval, covers the seed with soil, and sometimes presses the soil down. Seed Drill: Function: Sows small-grained seeds like rice and wheat in continuous rows. How it works: It drills furrows to a specific depth, drops seeds continuously into them, and then covers them. Crop Maintenance Machinery: These are used to care for the crops as they grow. Sprayer (Boom Sprayer): Function: Used to apply liquid chemicals like herbicides (to kill weeds), pesticides (to kill pests), and foliar fertilizers. How it works: A tank holds the chemical mixture. A pump, often powered by the tractor's PTO, forces the liquid through nozzles on a long boom, creating a fine spray that covers the crops evenly. Fertilizer Spreader/Applicator: Function: To apply granular (solid) fertilizers to the field evenly. How it works: A hopper holds the fertilizer, and a spinning disc or other mechanism distributes the granules over a wide area as the tractor moves. Harvesting Machinery: These machines gather mature crops from the field. Combine Harvester: Function: A complex machine that *combines* three operations: reaping (cutting the crop), threshing (separating the grain from the stalk), and winnowing (cleaning the grain from chaff). It is mainly used for grain crops like rice, maize, and soybeans. How it works: The front header cuts the crop. It is then fed into a threshing drum that beats the grain out. The grains fall through sieves while the straw and chaff are blown out the back of the machine. Reaper: Function: A simpler machine that only cuts the standing crop (like rice or wheat) and lays it in rows in the field. Threshing must be done later by a separate machine (a thresher).
Guided Practice (With Solutions)
Question 1: Matching Match the farm machine in Column A with its primary function in Column B.