KCSE Revision Notes on Disc Plough – Agriculture Notes

A action of a disc plough is similar to the mouldboard plough.

Disc plough cuts,turns and in some cases breaks furrow slices by means of separately mounted large steel concave discs.

A disc plough is designed with a view to reduce friction by making a rolling plough bottom instead of sliding plough bottom as in the case of mouldboard plough.

A disc plough works well in the conditions where mouldboard plough does not work satisfactorily.

Advantages of disc plough

• A disc plough can be forced to penetrate into the soil which is too hard and dry for
  working with a mouldboard plough.
• It works well in sticky soils in which a mouldboard plough does not scour.
• It is more useful for deep ploughing.
• It can be used safely in rough, stony and stumpy soils without much danger of
  breakage.
• A disc plough works well even after a considerable part of the disc is worn out in
  abrasive soils.
• It works well in loose soils also (such as peat) without much clogging.
  Disadvantages of disc plough
• It is not suitable for covering surface trash and weeds as effectively as a mouldboard
  plough
• Comparatively, a disc plough leaves the soil in rough and cloddy condition than that
  of a mouldboard plough.
• Disc plough is much heavier than mouldboard plough for equal capacities because
  penetration of disc plough is effected largely by its weight rather than suction.

  (Mouldboard plough is forced into the soil by the suction of the plough, while the disc
  plough is forced into the soil by its own weight).