Traditional and modern plough types in Kerala
- Nadan Kalappa (നാടൻ കലപ്പ): Traditional wooden plough tipped with a steel share point, drawn by draft bullocks or he-buffaloes in wet paddy fields.
- Mouldboard (MB) plough: Tractor-mounted implement with curved steel mouldboards that cuts, lifts, inverts, and pulverizes soil to bury weed residues.
- Disc plough: Heavy rotatable steel concave discs designed to roll over roots and buried boulders in rocky highland laterite soils.
- Power tiller rotary plough: Rotary tiller implements widely used in wet wetland paddy fields across Palakkad, Kuttanad, and Kole wetlands.
Agronomic significance of deep ploughing
Ploughing breaks up compacted subsoil crusts, aerates the root zone, improves soil moisture retention, and exposes buried weed seeds, nematode cysts, and soil-dwelling grubs to direct sun scorching and bird predation.
Mechanization support under Kerala Agriculture Department
The Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers' Welfare, Government of Kerala, promotes agricultural mechanization through agro-service centres, Karshika Karma Senas, and SMAM capital subsidies for acquiring approved tillers and ploughs.
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Common questions
What is the Malayalam word for plough?
The Malayalam word for plough is 'Kalappa' (കലപ്പ).
Which plough type is best for hard laterite soils in Kerala?
Disc ploughs are best suited for rocky and hard lateritic soils because their rotating concave discs roll over obstacles without breaking.
How can Kerala farmers hire mechanized ploughs and tillers?
Farmers can hire machinery through local Karshika Karma Senas, Agro Service Centres, or Custom Hiring Centres.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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