Tillage & CultivationUnit 1.2 | Part 1 – 33
Introduction
Introduction: Soil Tillage & Cultivation
UNIT OVERVIEW
Cultivation is a purposefully broader
concept than simply digging or tilling
the soil—cultivation involves an
array of tools, materials and methods
that, when properly combined,
promote and maintain optimum soil
health and good tilth, a composite
term for the overall physical
characteristics of a soil (texture,
structure, permeability, consistency,
drainage, and water-holding
capacity). In short, tilth equals the
workability of a soil in relationship
to its ability to grow plants.
This unit introduces students to
the tools, techniques, and rationale
behind traditional French-intensive
organic gardening and mechanized,
field-scale soil cultivation. Beginning
with the concepts of soil cultivation
and tillage, students will learn about
the aims of cultivation, and the
appropriate applications of primary
and secondary tillage techniques.
Through demonstrations and a hands-on
exercise, students will begin to develop the
technical skills needed to cultivate French-
intensive raised beds using both primary
and secondary tillage tools and techniques,
and will become familiar with the various
tillage tools and processes used in me-
chanical cultivation and bed formation.
Unit supplements detail cultivation goals,
particularly at the garden scale; discuss
tillage and bed formation sequences, and
the importance of row spacings at the field
scale; as well as the origins of the French
intensive method.
MODES OF INSTRUCTION
> LECTURES (3 LECTURES, 1–1.5 HOURS EACH)
Lecture 1 covers the definition of cultivation and tillage, the
general aims of soil cultivation, the factors influencing culti-
vation approaches, and the potential impacts of excessive or
ill-timed tillage.
Lecture 2 includes a brief history of the French-intensive
method of cultivation and the tillage tools and techniques
used to prepare garden beds with this method.
Lecture 3 addresses tillage tools, techniques, and sequences
used in field-scale mechanized production systems.
> DEMONSTRATION 1: PREPARING THE GARDEN SITE FOR
FRENCH-INTENSIVE CULTIVATION (1.5 HOURS)
Demonstration 1 outlines the steps for preparing a site for
French-intensive permanent raised beds.
> DEMONSTRATION 2: FRENCH-INTENSIVE CULTIVATION
(1.5 HOURS)
Demonstration 2 outlines the steps for demonstrating the
cultivation and maintenance of French-intensive permanent
raised beds using primary and secondary cultivation.
> HANDS-ON EXERCISE: GARDEN BED CULTIVATION
(2 HOURS)
In this exercise, students practice cultivating permanent
raised beds using traditional French-intensive cultivation
techniques.
> DEMONSTRATION 3: MECHANICAL TILLAGE AND
CULTIVATION (1.5 HOURS)
The Demonstration 3 outline details the steps for demon-
strating tractor-mounted tillage and cultivation equipment.
> ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1 HOUR)
Assessment questions reinforce key unit concepts and skills.
> POWERPOINT
See casfs.ucsc.edu/about/publications and click on Teaching
Organic Farming & Gardening.