Moldboard Plough

A moldboard plough is defined by its inversion action: each furrow bottom cuts, lifts, and rotates a slice of soil so material that was on the surface ends up buried. This is the most intensive common form of primary tillage in terms of soil disturbance.

1. A coulter or disc cuts the leading edge of the furrow slice vertically
2. The share cuts the slice horizontally at the working depth
3. The moldboard, a curved surface behind the share, lifts and rotates the slice
4. The inverted slice is deposited into the previous furrow, burying surface material
5. Multiple furrow bottoms mounted on one frame repeat this across the working width

Moldboard ploughing is typically the first operation in a conventional tillage sequence, followed by secondary tillage (such as disc harrowing) to break clods and prepare a finer seedbed before drilling or planting. Burying crop residue and weed seed can help manage certain pests, diseases, and weed pressure that survive on or near the surface.

Mounted plough

Attached to the tractor’s three-point linkage, lifted fully clear of the ground for transport

Trailed (semi-mounted) plough

Carried partly on its own wheels, used for larger working widths

Reversible plough

Can turn furrows in one direction only, avoiding the open and back furrows left by one-way ploughs

Ploughing depth, timing, and frequency affect soil structure, organic matter, and erosion risk, and these effects are strongly influenced by soil type, slope, rainfall pattern, and climate. Many farms now choose selectively between moldboard ploughing and reduced- or no-tillage approaches depending on the field and rotation.