Equipment

Conservation Agriculture can be carried out using a variety of different equipment, enabling it to be done on small or large scales.  Various equipment is also used during the growing season and at harvest time.

The common types of equipment which is used in Southern Africa are as follows:

Hand Hoe

The Hand Hoe is used to manually dig likoti (holes) for planting.  The hoe is also used for weeding of fields.

Chinese (Li) Planter

The Chinese (Li) Planter is a single person to plant alone, with seed & fertiliser being planted into the soil alongside each other with minimal soil disturbance.  The seed is contained in the bag on the back of the farmer and the fertiliser carried in the handle of the planter.

Rotary Punch Planter

Growing Nations are currently developing a no-till rotary punch planter for women.  This planter is designed to be used by women to speed up the planting process and enable women to plant their own fields in cultures where it is inappropriate for them to handle large animals.

Animal-drawn Planter

Animal-drawn planters are similar to tractor drawn CA planters but designed to be drawn by animals.  There are various designs of animal drawn planters.

Tractor Drawn Planter

Tractor drawn no-till planters can range from 2 row to 16 row planters, depending on the area being farmed and the resources available. 

Teren Rope

A vital piece of equipment where fields are planted manually to ensure lines are straight and row & plant spacing are accurately measured.

Sprayers

A variety of sprayers can be used to control weeds and pests where required.  These include back-pack sprayers, bicycle sprayers or boom sprayers.

Roller

A roller can be used to roll and flatten cover crops prior to planting.

Threshers