Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Tillage implements are designed for specific operational depths and soil conditions.
Primary tillage implements like standard disc ploughs operate deep into the soil to cut and turn it, while secondary tillage implements like disc harrows operate at shallower depths to pulverize soil clods and control weeds.
Certain specialized implements combine the features of both categories to optimize shallow tillage operations.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the functions of the given implements:
- Standard disc plough: Features large, individually mounted, heavy concave discs that penetrate deep into the soil to cut, lift, and invert it.
It is designed for deep primary tillage in hard, trashy, or rocky soils.
- Chisel plough and Sub-soiler: These are deep-tillage primary implements designed to break hard soil layers and sub-soil pans without inverting the soil.
- Vertical disc plough (also known as the one-way disc plough, harrow-plough, or disc tiller): This implement is a hybrid design combining features of the disc plough and disc harrow.
It consists of a series of medium-sized concave discs mounted on a single common shaft (gang), similar to a disc harrow gang, rather than being individually mounted like a standard disc plough.
However, the gang is oriented at an angle (gang angle) relative to the direction of travel, allowing the discs to cut and turn the soil to throw it in one direction, similar to a disc plough.
It operates at shallow depths (typically \(7.5\text{ to }12.5\text{ cm}\)), making it highly effective for shallow soil cutting, seedbed preparation, stubble mulching, and weed control.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The vertical disc plough is the combination of principles of the regular disc plough and disc harrow used for shallow working in soil.