Tillage and tith are important for soil health and crop growth. Tillage refers to working the surface soil to create favorable conditions for crop establishment, growth, and yield. There are two types of tillage - preparatory and special purpose. Preparatory tillage includes primary tillage using plows or tractors on new land, and secondary tillage like harrowing to create good soil structure. Zero tillage involves minimum soil disturbance and control of weeds through non-mechanical means. Tillage provides benefits like improved water holding capacity, aeration, and nutrient availability through enhanced organic matter breakdown. However, too much or improperly timed tillage can damage soil structure and increase erosion.

1. TILTH & TILLAGE
TILTH
 Def’n. :-
The physical condition of soil, as related to –
 Its ease of tillage
 Fitness as a seedbed
 Its impedance to seedlings emergence & root penetration
It depends upon not only granulation and stability of soil; but, on another
factors, eg. moisture-content, degree of aeration, drainage & capillary water
capacity.Soil tilth is’nt static, as it changes rapidly due to slight change in
moisture content; which may alter workability of the soil .
From the field-pointof view,an ideal tilthmusthavefollowingsalient features –
 There must be continuous system of wick pores downwards to the water
tableeither from soil surface or land drains; through which, excess water
become drained out .
 These pores must be sufficiently stable to last for several yrs. .
 Surface soil must be crumby& crumbs should be large enough; so that, it
is’nt blown away; but, small enough to allow a better germination .
TILLAGE
 Def’n. :-
It is the tilling of land or working of the surface soil to bring about the
conditions favourable for raising crop-plants. Tillage helps to provide a
favourable edaphic environment for the establishment, growth & yield of crop-
plants .
 Classifi’n. :-
Tillage is of broadly two kinds; viz. preparatory & special purpose tillage .

2. Former is further categorized into primary & secondary and later is further
categorized into zero & blind tillage respectively .
 Primary tillage is employed to cultivate a virgin or new land through
ploughing with either tractor or mould board or native-plough .
 Later on primary, the secondary is performed to bring a well tilth; through
harrowing, hoeing, ridging, etc. operations .
 Zero tillage refers to the crop-plants growth with minimum soil
disturbance;whichinvolves control of undesirablevegetation byotherthan
mechanicalmeanses. Tilled soil dries rapidly than non tilled soil; hence,
in zero tillage system, the implement is worked immediately after crop
harvesting .
 Blind tillage means tillage of the soil after seeding or planting either at
pre-emergence or early growth stage without hampering the crop-plants
but uprooting of broadleafed weeds as well as extra plant-population .
 Merit(s) :-
 Contributesfor improvement in Water(may be whatever, either irrigation
or rain-water) Holding Capacity of the soil .
 Accelerates soil-aeration & reduce erosion .
 Helps to improve the availability of plant nutrients through enhancing
decomposition of organic matter & detoxify soil from erratic appln. of
agrochemicals and to expel toxic gases from soil .
 Demerit(s) :-
Unless the field is prepared within required duration, soil may either lose
or gain moisturewhich makes the soil unworkable or sowing season will
become delayed, which means yield reduction .
Repeated tillageoperation or indiscriminately given operation over larger
periods has detrimental effect on surface soil granules.
Frequent tillage after ploughing pulvarises the soils into dusts, which
encourage wind erosion .