Tractors and Their History

The word tractor comes from Latin “trahere” which means to pull. As one can tell, the tractors are used for pulling things although the developments have made it more versatile and today, they can be used to serve tens of purposes.

History

Early tractors were steam-engine powered machines known as traction engine and were unstable because of steam-power. Those instabilities led to the use of internal combustion engine within the machine which made it safer for famers. Another problem with old tractors is that the user could get trapped inside, but that too has been resolved in the mid-late 20^th century.

Tractors of Today

Most of the tractors were also manufactured with no protection from a roll-over. This would mean that the user was always at a risk of a tractor roll-over. However, this concern was entertained by New Zealand which used a roll-over protection system to protect the driver’s life by integrating a durable top over the vehicle. With ROPS, farmers can safely take their tractor on steep slopes and uneven surfaces.

The newer builds also house a GPS and an on-board computer to guide farmers more accurately. For more productivity, farmers can now use new and old models together.

Extract

Before industrial revolution, there were no machines that would lift the farmer’s burden. But since the day industrialization took over, tractors have eased a farmer’s job and it must be said that these tractors have not only reduced workload, but they have rather become a necessity because otherwise in today’s demanding times, it would be impossible to fulfill the needs manually. 

With the times, tractors have also developed and the new models are now more powerful, more accurate, more productive and more secure.

3 Important Kinds of Fertilizers

Fertilizers are used as a fuel to the crops. Without fertilizer, crops would simply die-off. Usually, we use cow or horse manure in the fields, but that is not all. There are other kinds of fertilizers as well. They vary in their chemical composition and in some ingredients.

Environmentalists have been in the labs for years to strike a balance between organic (natural) fertilizers and otherwise, known as inorganic fertilizers. Farmers on the other hand, use the type based on:

• Crop type, 
• The conditions,
• The cost,
• The field, and
• Their personal preference.

Types of Fertilizers

Some key types of fertilizers are:

1. Organic fertilizers
2. Chemical fertilizers
3. Mixed fertilizers

Organic Fertilizers

These are made from organic components like seaweed, crab shells, manure, fish emulsion etc. They can also be subdivided into natural and synthetic. Synthetic variety is composed artificially, however it still uses organic elements. All of organic fertilizers are rich in nutrients but they do however, rely extensively over strategic planning and crop rotation.

Chemical Fertilizers
Chemical fertilizers are completely synthetic. The key component of these fertilizers include NPK(an abbreviation for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium), all of which are obtained from artificial sources. 

Because the gases involved in these fertilizers are experiencing a price boom, the costs of these fertilizers are also increasing. Some of the common synthetically produced chemical fertilizers are Ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and superphosphate.

Mixed Fertilizers

Unlike organic – which uses 100% organic elements – and chemical fertilizers – which are made up of synthetic elements – these fertilizers are part organic part inorganic(synthetic). Mixed variety incorporates potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus to increase productivity level.

This is the type mostly preferred because it involves less costs and pleases environmentalist farmers to a certain extent as well.