Chapter 9 - Tools and implements

Tillage implements
Interculture operation tools
Harvesting tools:
Postharvest tools and implements
Miscellaneous tools

In the Upper Himalayas, varied topographic and agro-climatic conditions ranging from subtropical to cool temperatures permit the cultivation of a wide variety of crops and fruits. However, agriculture in general is handicapped due to steep and hilly terrain, hazards of climate, uneconomic scattered holdings comprising of shallow and stony soils. The tools and implements used are of a primitive nature throughout the Indian Himalayan range(s). Traditional farm tools and implements for self sustenance have been developed/modified through experience over generations to meet emerging socio-economic and farming challenges. The type of soils and topographic conditions largely influence the type, size and shape of particular tillage tools/implements. The following is a list of local tools/implements found in various regions of temperate Himalayas.

A brief discussion of the most commonly used indigenous implements are given in table 1.

Tillage implements

1. Plough: Tillage is the basic operation in farming. It is done to create favourable conditions for seed placement and plant growth. This is done mainly with a plough. A full history of the evolution of plough is not available. Farmers have been using plough since time immemorial. The primitive model might have been a crooked twig or a branch of a tree. The basic components of the plough are a shoe, a share, a body, a handle and a beam.

The shoe and body make one piece in the case of ploughs being used in Kullu, Solan, Shimla, Sirmour, Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The Joint between the shoe and the body is purposely avoided with a view to make the plough more rigid and robust, so that the implement can work on gravely soils with stones and other obstacles which are encountered during the course of ploughing. (Figs. 9.1a, b & c)

Fig. 9.1a Traditional plough

Fig. 9.1b Traditional plough

In another type, the shoe and body feature as separate parts (Fig. 9.1d). This type is particularly preferred in soils with a greater proportion of sand particles. This type of structure facilitates the replacement of the shoe when it wears out due to the abrasive action of the sand. This type of plough is used in Mandi, Chamba, Una and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. In Sirmour district, the beam of the plough is joined to the handle instead of the body. This is done to provide more clearance under the beam and for easy passage over clods and stubble. The handle is 0.6 to 1 m long, 5 to 7.5 cm thick and 7.5 to' 12.5 cm wide and is fitted to the body of the plough.

Fig. 9 1c & d Traditional plough

The shoe, used in the plough, can be of different shapes and sizes. Ploughs used in dry lands have shoes which are generally of a triangular section while in wet land cultivation the shoes are of a more flat section.

The share is prepared from a mild steel bar, 0.6 to 7.5 m in length and 1.5 to 2.5 cm in width. The share is fixed to the shoe or body by means of a U-clamp or ring shaped clamp. The share point projects beyond the shoe by 5 to 7.5 cm. Beams generally vary in length from 2.4 to 3 m.

2. Yoke: The yoke has a projection at the centre to which a beam of implements like plough, leveller and harrow etc. are secured by a rope (Fig. 9.2).

Fig. 9.2 Neck yoke (jungle)

3. Leveller: The plank of the leveller is made of any locally available wood and shafts are generally made of bamboo sticks. Extra weight is added to all type of planks by placing stones on it or having person (s) ride on it. As the name suggests, levellers are used for levelling land (Fig. 9.3a & b).

Fig. 9.3a Leveller (Suhaga)

Fig. 9.3b Leveller (Suhaga)

4. Harrow: It has a wooden plank to which wood/iron pegs, handle and bamboo shaft are fitted. It is used for breaking soil crust after rain and also for uprooting weeds (Fig. 9.4).

5. Mallot: It has a wooden block to which a handle is attached. Occasionally, one end of the block is tapering. It is used for the breaking of clods (Fig. 9.5).

Interculture operation tools

1. Khilna: Its handle is made of a branch of sturdy wood and the tool itself is made of iron and is shaped like an arrowhead. It is used for uprooting of weeds (Fig. 9.6).

2. Kudali: Used for digging and weeding operations (Fig. 9.7), it is made of materials similar to the Khilna with the exception that the iron end is flat.

Fig. 4.4 Harrow (Dandal)

Fig. 9.5 Mallot

Fig. 9.6 Khilna

Fig. 9.7 Kudali

Fig. 9.8 Spade (Pharwa)

Harvesting tools:

The most common type of harvesting implement are small sickle, big sickle, darat, gandasa and small axe etc., (Fig. 9.9a, b, c & d).

Fig. 9.9a Small sikle (Daranti)

Fig. 9.9b Big sikle (Darati)

Fig. 9.9c Gandasa (Chopper)

Fig. 9.9d Axe (Kulhari)

The hand sickle is used to harvest crops like wheat, maize, barley, pulses and grass etc. Big sickle (Darat) is used to harvest fodder from trees. Gandasa (chopper) and axe are used to harvest crops like sugar-cane etc.

Postharvest tools and implements

1. Wooden Pin: Is used to remove the outer covering of maize cobs and is fashioned out of a bamboo stick.

2. Wooden Pole: These are used to detach grains from the maize cobs and grains from other crops through a beating action.

3. Suhaga: This is used to thresh both wheat and paddy crops according to traditional practice through the rubbing action of the suhaga with the tillers of crops.

4. Bamboo basket (Kilta): This is used for carrying FYM and farm produce (Fig. 9.10).

Fig. 9.10 Big bamboo basket (Kilta)

5. Tokri (Fig. 9.11). A small bamboo basket.

Fig. 9.11 A small bamboo basket (Tokri)

6. Hand mill: This is used to grind flour and pulses (Fig. 9.12).

Fig. 9.12 Indigenous hand mill

7. Winnower: This separates the grain from the husk (Fig. 9.13)

Fig. 9.13 Winnower (Shoop)

8. Sieve: This is used for the separation of different types of grains for elimination of alien material (Fig. 9.14).

Fig. 9.14 Sieve (Chanani)

9. Sack: It is used to store the farm produce. 12. Pine needle collecting tool (Fig. 9.18. The traditional sack is made from the skin of sheep and goat (Fig. 9.15).

Fig. 9.15 Sack made of goat skin

10. Shearer: This is used for shearing wool (Fig. 9.16).

11. Skinner: This is used for taking off the skin of slaughtered goat/sheep (Fig. 9.17).

Fig 916 Sshearer (Balwan)

Fig 9 17 Sheep/goat skinner (Kataru)

12. Pine needle collecting tool (Fig. 9.18)

Fig. 9.18 Tool for collecting pine needles (Kadera)

Miscellaneous tools

Hammer, jumper, wedge and shovel and hand saw are also used from time to time in the various farm operations.

Despite of their widespread use, even today, these indigenous implement/tools in general are not agronomically sound and as a result lower the efficiency and increase tiredness of the operator. There is an urgent need to improve upon the traditional implements so as to redress this serious limitation. The standardization of their design in accordance with the requirements of hill farming is long overdue.

Table 1: List of tools/implements in various regions of HP

Type of tools/implements	English name	Local name in regions
		Lahaul & Spiti	Chamba	Sirmour	Kinnaur	Bilaspur
I. Tillage and bed/land preparation tools	1. Wooden Plough	Nagal	Hal	Hal	Thong (Aawi)	Hal
	2. Yoke or Punjali	Joom	-	Joda		Jungda
	3. Hammer wooden (Mallot)	Thowa	dah	ud	Ghoon	Padawata
	4. Leveller	-	mach	Sohaga	Jorah	Maida
	5. Pick axe	Gainti	Gainti	Gainti	bilcha	Gainti
II. Interculture operation tools	1. Spade	Chagwal	Phawara	Phorwa	-	Jhhamb
	2. Harrow	-	Dandal	-	Gyama	Dandali
	3. Khilna	-	-	-	Chikri	Kilni
	4. Hoe (Kudal)	Okthan	Kudali	Kasi	Khassi	Kudali
	5. Hand hoe	-	Khurpi	Khurpi	Khot	Khurpa
	6. Iron hook provided with wooden handle	Surmn	-	-	-	-
III. Harvesting	1. Scythe	Dranti	Darati	Daranti	Sora (Dachi)	Dorati
	2. Sharp blade fitted to wooden handle	Jathugza	Gandasa	-	-	Rutasa
	3. Big sickle	Drant	Darat	Darant	Naryal (Daach)	Draft
	4. Small axe makudi	Karji	Jhontu	Teri	-	Kulhadu
	5. Plough	Nagal	Hal	Hal	Jhong	Hal
IV. Phostharvest Bambo pin	1. Wooden Pin/	-	-	-	-	Sua
	2. Threshing pole	-	-	-	Berka	Deeng
	3. Basket	Kilta	Kilta	Kilta	Kilta (Changer)	Tokri
	4. Suhaga (Leveller)		Mach	Moi	Jorah	Maida
	5. Winnower	Sheen	Chhaj	Zongfa	-	Chhaj
	6. Large sieve	-	-	-	Yara	Kera
	7. Threshing floor	-	-	-	Kholang	-
	8. Sack (Bag)	-	-	-	Phat	Bori
	9. Hand mill	Ranthak (Chackki)	-	-	-	Chakki
V. Additional	1. Chisel	Chutsa	Nihani	-	Zabbal	Chhini
	2. Jumper	Jhabbal	-	-	-	Chabbal
	3. Saw	-	Karolari	Aari	-	Aari
	4. Iron Hammer	-	-	-	-	Hathodi