Editing Plough (section)

===Chisel plough===

[[File:JDTractor chisel-plough.jpg|thumb|A chisel plough; the ploughing tines are at the rear, the refuse-cutting [[Coulter (agriculture)|coulters]] at the front.]]
The ''chisel plough'' is a common tool for deep tillage (prepared land) with limited soil disruption. Its main function is to loosen and aerate the soils, while leaving [[crop residue]] on top. This plough can be used to reduce the effects of soil compaction and to help break up [[plowpan|ploughpan]] and [[hardpan]]. Unlike many other ploughs, the chisel will not invert or turn the soil. This feature has made it a useful addition to [[no-till farming|no-till]] and low-till farming practices that attempt to maximise the erosion-preventing benefits of keeping organic matter and farming residues present on the soil surface throughout the year. Thus the chisel plough is considered by some{{who|date=December 2012}} to be more [[Sustainable agriculture|sustainable]] than other types of plough, such as the [[#Mould-board ploughing|mould-board plough]].

[[File:Bigham Brother Tomato Tiller.JPG|thumb|Tomato tiller]]
Chisel ploughs are becoming more popular as a primary tillage tool in row-crop farming areas. Basically the chisel plough is a heavy-duty field cultivator intended to operate at depths from {{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}} to as much as {{convert|46|cm|abbr=on}}. However some models may run much deeper.{{clarify|subsoiler|date=May 2021}} Each individual plough or shank is typically set from {{convert|9|inch|abbr=on|order=flip}} to {{convert|14|inch|abbr=on|order=flip}} apart. Such a plough can meet significant soil drag: a [[tractor]] of sufficient power and traction is required. When ploughing with a chisel plough, {{convert|10|–|20|hp|kW}} per shank is required, depending on depth.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

Pull-type chisel ploughs are made in working widths from about {{convert|2.5|m}} up to {{convert|13.7|m}}. They are tractor-mounted, and working depth is hydraulically controlled. Those more than about {{convert|4|m}} wide may be equipped with folding wings to reduce transport width. Wider machines may have the wings supported by individual wheels and hinge joints to allow flexing of the machine over uneven ground. The wider models usually have a wheel each side to control working depth. Three-point hitch-mounted units are made in widths from about {{convert|1.5|to|9|m}}.

[[Cultivator]]s are often similar in form to chisel ploughs, but their goals are different. Cultivator teeth work near the surface, usually for weed control, whereas chisel plough shanks work deep under the surface; therefore, cultivation takes much less power per shank than does chisel ploughing.