Windrow compostingIn agriculture, windrow composting is the production of compost by piling organic matter or biodegradable waste, such as animal manure and crop residues, in long rows – windrow. As the process is aerobic, it is also known as open windrow composting (OWC) or open air windrow composting (OAWC). This method is suited to producing large volumes of compost.
SwatherA swather (North America), or windrower (Australia and rest of world), is a farm implement that cuts hay or small graincrops and forms them into a windrow for drying. They may be self-propelled with an engine, or drawn by a tractor and power take-off powered. A swather uses a reciprocating sickle bar or rotating discs to sever the crop stems.
MowerA mower is a person or machine that cuts (mows) grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g. with reapers and combines. A smaller mower used for lawns and sports grounds (playing fields) is called a lawn mower or grounds mower, which is often self-powered, or may also be small enough to be pushed by the operator.
VermicompostVermicompost (vermi-compost) is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. This process is called vermicomposting, with the rearing of worms for this purpose is called vermiculture.
BalerA baler, or hay baler, is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop (such as hay, cotton, flaxstraw, salt marsh hay, or silage) into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. Often, bales are configured to dry and preserve some intrinsic (e.g. the nutritional) value of the plants bundled.
Hay rakeA hay rake is an agricultural rake used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later collection (e.g. by a baler or a ). It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the evening to protect the hay from morning dew. The next day a tedder is used to spread it again, so that the hay dries more quickly. TypesA hay rake may be mechanized, drawn by a tractor or draft animals, or it may be a hand tool.
ScytheA scythe (, rhyming with writhe) is an agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. It was historically used to cut down or reap edible grains before they went through the process of threshing. Horse-drawn and then tractor machinery largely replaced the scythe, but it is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia, especially in Yakutia, Siberia.
Combine harvesterThe modern combine harvester, also called a combine, is a machine designed to harvest a variety of cultivated seeds. Combine harvesters are one of the most economically important labour-saving inventions, significantly reducing the fraction of the population engaged in agriculture. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, rice, oats, rye, barley, corn (maize), sorghum, millet, soybeans, flax (linseed), sunflowers and rapeseed (canola).
HayHay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticated animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Pigs can eat hay, but they do not digest it as efficiently as herbivores do.SwatheA swathe ( British English, rhymes with "bathe"; or swath American English, rhymes with "cloth") is the strip of cut crop made by a scythe or a mowing-machine. A mower with a scythe cuts a swathe along the mowing-edge leaving the uncut grass to the right and the cut grass laid in a windrow to the left on the previously mown land. The swathe width depends on the blade length, the nature of the crop, and the mower, but for grass is usually about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wide.
Ice cuttingIce cutting is a winter task of collecting surface ice from lakes and rivers for storage in ice houses and use or sale as a cooling method. Rare today, it was common (see ice trade) before the era of widespread mechanical refrigeration and air conditioning technology. HistoryThe work was done as a winter chore by many farmers and as a winter occupation by icemen.
Glossary of agricultureThis glossary of agriculture is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in agriculture, its sub-disciplines, and related fields, including horticulture, animal husbandry, agribusiness, and agricultural policy. For other glossaries relevant to agricultural science, see Glossary of biology, Glossary of ecology, Glossary of environmental science, and Glossary of botanical terms.windrowRelated word or term.Special:Search/windrowRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.