Hand Tillage

Hoes and spades in different shapes and weights are the tools used for hand-tillage operation, unless contract ploughing with animals or tractors is used. Tillage depth and intensity with hand tools is very limited, but as it also leaves the soil exposed it will equally lead to soil degradation and erosion. Even the creation of compaction zones (hoe-pans) is known. Tillage tools might still be necessary for some specialized operations even under conservation agriculture, such as reshaping beds or maintaining irrigation ditches. However, under conservation agriculture there is no general tillage anymore and farmers use direct seeding to plant the crop. With this the main bottleneck of labour availability for land preparation is eliminated.