Simple Farm Tools SS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note

Farm tools are simple handy tools constructed by the farmer or craftsmen to carry out some basic farming operations. Farmers who grow crops and keep animals usually use some simple tools to help make their work easier and faster.

Examples Of Farm Tools

1. Cutlass
2. Hoe
3. Bolt and nut
4. Shovel
5. Garden fork
6. Hand fork
7. Axe
8. Screwdriver
9. Digger 
10. Head pan
11. Spanner
12. Mallet
13. Budding knife
14. Plier
15. Harvesting Knife
16. Crowbar
17. Sickle
18. Wheelbarrow 
19. Shear
20. Emasculator
21. Mattock
22. Hammer
23. Watering can
24. Chisel
25. Pruning saw
26. Secateurs
27. Rake
28. Hand trowel
29. Spade
30. Manure drag

Description And Functions Of Some Selected Tools 

1. Cutlass: This is a short metal blade tool with h curved end and a wooden handle made of rubber. The cutlass is commonly used for land clearing, planting, weeding, and cutting small trunks and pegs.
2. Spade & Shovel: this has a long wooden handle ending with h flat metal blade that is sharp at one end and the other D-shaped to allow for proper handling. It is used for digging the soil, spreading manure, and turning and mixing the soil. The shovel blade is folded to give a scoop shape.
3. Garden Fork: this tool has four prongs or teeth made of hard metal that tapers to a point. The hard metal is about 20cm long, mounted on a long wooden handle of about 70-80cm in length. It is used mainly for digging, loosening, and breaking the soil.
4. Secateurs: a scissors-like tool consisting of two short metal blades one with a concave curve and the other with a convex curve joined at a pivot with h bolt and nut. It possesses two metal short wooden or metal handles with a spring in between. Mainly used for preparing stem cutting and pruning small branches of hard wooded plants for watering crops, especially seedlings and flowers.
5. Emasculator: this consists of a pair of powerful pincers with plastic or metal handles. It is used to castrate male animals by rushing their spermatid cord

General Maintenance Of Farm Tools

Farm tools are made of metal or wood which are strong, these tools still need very good care so that they are always suitable for use in farming. The following are ways to ensure that they are used optimally:

1. Keep in a store free of termites (for tools with wooden parts).
2. Oil or grease metal parts
3. If it is to be stored for long, paint metal parts
4. Sharpen blunt edges regularly to get an results.
5. Clean or wash after each use.
6. Keep nozzles free from blockage.