ROLLERS

The roller must be one of the simplest agricultural implements in farming today. It is used to flatten land and also to break up the large clods of soil that are often left behind after ploughing. Initially they were pulled by draft animals, but today agricultural rollers are pulled by tractors as trailed implements.

Flattening the land can make later harvesting and weed control far easier. Rolling agricultural land can also help to reduce the amount of moisture loss from the soil. On pastures, meanwhile, rolling can ease mowing operations and achieve compaction of the soil surface.

The degree to which a roller can level land, break up clods and flatten pastures depends upon the weight of the unit. Rollers can be weighted using different techniques. They can simply be constructed from thick steel or use a thinner steel cylinder with a concrete filling. Other models of rollers will use water to provide the weight. These units have the advantage of being capable of being emptied, which can make them easier to transport. These rollers should be drained in winter to prevent the water from freezing and expanding to burst the roller.

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