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The guts behind our food - Farm machinery

The face of farming has changed rapidly from a slow,primitive, battle against the elements into a high-tech and scientific agricultural industry. One element which has been revolutionary for the industry is farm machinery. In a general sense farm machinery refers to the use of equipment, machines and structures in the course of cultivation; machinery in farming has revolutionised the way in which we till, sow and harvest crops for our constantly expanding world.

Previously farmers depended on human and animal labor; this was of course an immensely arduous, and food productive task. The introduction of farm machinery, ranging from obvious examples such as the now very commonplace combine harvester and tractor, to much smaller items such as automated seed drills and irrigation machines "put an end to none holding back". Today it is no uncommon sight for the machinery described above to manage hundreds of acres of farm land with a single farmer overseeing with a level of efficiency unimaginable to a farmer over 100 years ago.

The main benefit that has arisen with the use of farm machinery is that of time and efficiency; what would have taken a farmer weeks can now be completed in hours. Speed is crucial within the agricultural sector as poor time management which relies on fluctuating weather systems can lead to an entire harvest being destroyed. Modern farm machinery has also managed to reduce levels of wastage; automated planters ensure seeds have been planted at the correct depth with minimum gaps. Advanced harvesters have been designed with the aim of not damaging the grains.

Despite the large number of benefits attributed to farm machinery in the course of farming, the implementation of these machines in our growing agricultural industry also has disadvantages. It is a fact that farm machinery can cost hundreds and thousands of thousands of dollars to purchase and therefore only a few small holders in the countries where it is most needed will be able to buy it. Moreover, it is a fact that heavy machinery on farm lands leads to prolonged soil compaction over years.

To conclude, Farm machinery can be described as the back bone to food supply worldwide and the efficiency it provides can be viewed as invaluable although significant cost is involved. However as agricultural farming and technology advances so too will eco-friendly intelligent farm machinery which will allow for future sustenance of our world.

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