Traditional and manual grass cutting implements
Manual hand tools remain vital for daily fodder harvesting on smallholder livestock farms.
- Toothed Sickle (Serrated Daranti): Features fine saw-like teeth on a curved blade; ideal for cutting fibrous grasses, wheat straw, and paddy stubble with pulling strokes.
- Smooth-Edge Sickle (Plain Hansia): Features a sharp, bevel-ground cutting edge; ideal for succulent green fodders like berseem, lucerne, and oats.
- Grass Shears: Long-handled or handheld scissor-type cutters used for precision trimming along garden borders, lawn edges, and orchard tree bases.
- Scythe: Traditional long-curved blade mounted on a two-handed snath; allows upright harvesting of forage grasses across open pasture plots.
Blade metallurgy, ergonomics, and sharpening
Maintaining sharp cutting edges ensures clean plant cuts and rapid fodder regrowth.
- High-Carbon Tool Steel: High-carbon steel blades hold a sharp edge longer and resist bending when striking tough woody stems.
- Ergonomic Wooden or Rubber Handles: Provide comfortable grip and vibration damping, reducing blister formation during prolonged harvesting.
- Sharpening Serrated Sickles: Sharpen the back flat edge with a whetstone; never file directly across serrated teeth without specialized triangular files.
- Sharpening Smooth Blades: Use a fine-grit sharpening stone (whetstone) maintaining a 20-degree bevel angle along the cutting edge.
Mechanized alternatives and worker safety
Upgrading to mechanized tools saves substantial labor on commercial dairy farms.
- Motorized Brush Cutters: 2-stroke or 4-stroke petrol brush cutters cut forage 5 to 8 times faster than manual sickles.
- Protective Footwear & Gloves: Wear leather gloves and protective shoes to prevent accidental hand or foot lacerations.
- Clean Cut Height: Maintain cutting height at 5 to 7 cm above the ground to preserve the vegetative crown for subsequent fodder regrowth.
- Subsidies: Improved manual farm tools and power brush cutters qualify for assistance under SMAM.
Official source
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Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the difference between a serrated sickle and a plain-edge sickle?
A serrated sickle has tiny saw-like teeth for sawing through tough, dry cereal stems, while a plain-edge sickle has a razor-smooth blade for slicing tender green forage.
How can rust be prevented on manual grass cutting tools?
Wipe blades clean and dry after every work session, and apply a light coat of mineral oil or waste machine oil before storing in a dry tool shed.
Why is cutting forage too close to the ground harmful?
Cutting flush with the soil damages the plant crown and regenerative buds, drastically reducing the yield and speed of subsequent forage cuttings.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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