How Much Do You Know About Farm Equipment?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How Much Do You Know About Farm Equipment?
Image: Capelle.r/ Moment/ Getty Images

About This Quiz

There are certain basics to farming that haven't changed since the first nomad realized that if they used a hooked stick to break up the soil where their favorite berry patch grew, more berry plants would appear the following year. There are other elements of farming, however, that have become unbelievably specialized and technologically advanced. From sensors and apps to monitor soil moisture, to hyper-precise weather forecasts to ensure that planting happens at an optimal time, to intelligent dairies that monitor the health and output of every cow, farming has entered the 21st century.

This means that the variety of equipment farmers have to be able to use has only risen. Sure, some of the new equipment saves them labor, but that doesn't mean they get extra free time! It means instead that they merely upgrade their systems to produce more efficiently (and hopefully, humanely). The new devices and the additional features of older devices have thus not reduced the workload, though they have radically increased safety and raised efficiency and productivity. Some backbreaking and dangerous work has now been replaced by computers and spreadsheets, which is great for farmers who often experience chronic injuries at a young age.

How well do you know the old and the new on farms? Let's find out!

1. combine
tim phillips photos/ Moment / Getty Images
How many functions does a combine harvester typically perform at once?
One
Three
Five
Seven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A combine harvester is a fabulous invention that radically cuts the amount of time it takes to get the harvest in, which means that the odds of spoilage and crop loss are radically reduced. This wonderful machine performs three functions, hence the "combine" name. It reaps, it threshes and it winnows. It's a miracle on wheels!

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2. soil
Giuseppe Zanoni/ Moment / Getty Images
What happens to your topsoil if you plow it too much?
It blows away.
It grows smaller plants.
It loses overall quality.
Nothing happens. Topsoil doesn't mind plowing.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Topsoil is an incredibly complicated biological system, and plowing it too much messes with that system in several ways. You can break the soil down so that nutrients and moisture are lost, leaving you vulnerable to erosion and reducing yields per acre. Over-plowing is one of the No.1 sins of farming. It's something that modern equipment is designed to help avoid.

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3. backhoe
Cretì Stefano/ Moment / Getty Images
For what might you use a backhoe?
Removing something from the ground
Moving cattle
Cutting down trees
Planting hedges
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A rock picker can help you remove smaller rocks, but if you discover something very big in your field, you need a backhoe. This standard piece of industrial or construction equipment is a must-have on every farm over a certain size. Smaller farms may share one to save money.

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4. straw
Jacky Parker Photography/ Moment/ Getty Images
What is the best way to harvest strawberries en masse?
Strawberry-picking robot
Wait for them to fall off
There is no good way to do this.
Pick them by hand
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are automated strawberry-picking robots, but, so far, they are not cheaper or better than humans once you account for the purchase price. There is simply no substitute for the original and best piece of equipment on your farm — a pair of hands attached to a hardworking person. Strawberry picking is backbreaking labor, so next time you enjoy a delicious ripe berry, spare a moment of gratitude for the worker who helped bring it to your plate!

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5. plow
Baac3nes/ Moment / Getty Images
What is the basic function of plowing?
Aerating soil
Breaking up lumps in the soil
Ensuring moisture and nutrients are spread through the soil
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Plowing is all about making sure the texture of the soil is firm enough for plants to grow but loose enough for water, nutrients and oxygen to get to the seeds, and for the shoots to grow easily through the surface. It has many functions, but the depth of plowing should always be adjusted to the soil type.

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6. trencher
duckycards/ E+ / Getty Images
For what purpose do you use a "trencher"?
Digging ditches
Filling in ditches
Removing tree stumps
Making ponds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A trencher is designed to dig long, thin holes. Ditches serve an important function in farming. They help the field to drain standing water from the topsoil so that crops are not drowned where they stand. Drainage is a key part of a working farm.

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7. hedge
JPM/ Image Source / Getty Images
Which of these is the cheapest to maintain in the winter?
Wooden fencing
Electric fencing
Barbed wire fencing
Hedge
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hedges are like lawns, and they require little to no maintenance outside of the growing season. Hedges also have the advantage that if a gap develops, they can grow back and fill it up themselves, unlike fences where you have to add a new section more deliberately!

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8. DDT
Wikicommons by Content Providers(s):CDC
What is the name of the incredibly effective pesticide that is no longer used due to its ghastly impacts on wildlife and (eventually) humans?
Bisphenol A
DDT
Sulfates
Parabens
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was considered a wonder substance when it first came out. It transformed crop yields and overhauled farming. Then scientist Rachel Carson realized that it was not just killing pests, it was killing all the insects and birds that sustain the food chain, including pollinators that we rely on for our crops to grow. Her book, "Silent Spring," changed the story of DDT. It can be said without exaggeration that Carson's work saved entire ecosystems from collapse.

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9. slurry
tdub_video/ E+ / Getty Images
What is the semi-liquid goop that is made of cow manure and stored in a tank?
Manure
Spread
Natural fertilizer
Slurry
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There should be no waste on a proper farm! Slurry is an example of how farms are designed to use even manure. It goes into a tank where it is made sufficiently liquid to flow and stored until it is used as fertilizer. One of the worst days to walk on any farm is the day the slurry is spread!

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10. bio
Andriy Onufriyenko/ Moment / Getty Images
What are these somewhat less controversial pesticides?
Sulfates
Pthalates
Neonicitinoids
Biologicals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Some pesticides and fertilizers are high-impact, in the sense that they can be very effective but they also risk killing off too many species or leaving traces on the crops. Biologicals are naturally occurring chemicals and organisms that serve the same functions but have a relatively lower impact on the environment. They are a rapidly growing branch of farming.

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11. Diatomaceous earth
Wikicommons by SprocketRocket
What is the name of the natural powder distributed in a barn to kill insects that are eating your crops?
DDT
Delta dust
Diatomaceous earth
Pollinated earth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Diatomaceous earth is harmless to mammals but full of tiny spiky fragments known as diatoms that pierce the shells of insects and kill them. It is put into barns to kill off critters attempting to eat stored crops. It won't do any damage should some of it remain in the food chain.

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12. silage
dageldog/ E+ / Getty Images
Which of these is a necessary condition to turn grass or corn into silage?
A tarp
A container
Temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Absence of oxygen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Silage is grass or hay that has been compacted in anaerobic conditions so that it ferments. This keeps it from sprouting or spoiling, meaning that it can be stored and used as fodder throughout the winter. Silage can only be created in the absence of oxygen, which can be achieved with a compactor or even through the use of tarpaulins and very heavy tractor tires.

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13. milk
Pardeep Singh Gill/ Moment / Getty Images
How many times a day do cows go to the milking parlor?
Two
Five
One
Three
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The cows generally go to be milked twice a day, as this is the optimal arrangement for their comfort and output. When cows who are currently producing milk are not milked, this causes them to be uncomfortable. Milking is also a chance for them to get into the parlor where there is food waiting for them!

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14. grain
Lucas Ninno/ Moment / Getty Images
A grain drier protects grain while it dries. Which is NOT one of the reasons for which it is needed?
Rain
Insects
Transport
Birds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A grain drier is a kind of silo that stores grain at the perfect temperature. Ensuring that moisture levels are not too high is essential to prevent grain from sprouting or spoiling. It also ensures that rodents and other critters cannot get to the grain and eat it.

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15. hay fork
Kypros/ Moment / Getty Images
What is the name of the piece of equipment that moves around lots of hay?
Hay baler
Hay fork
Hay lifter
Bale shifter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pitchforks are the smaller, individual version of this piece of equipment which can move a lot of hay. Once hay is baled, you can stick the bale on a fork and easily move it around. Bales keep getting bigger and bigger, so the forks are also getting bigger!

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16. egg
JethuynhCan/ Moment / Getty Images
What is the name of the machine that selects eggs according to size?
Produce sorter
Egg organizer
Change machine
Egg peg
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The produce sorter will sort all sorts of things by size. It works exactly the same way as a machine that sorts coins, using different-size channels for the eggs to slide down. This is how your small, medium, large and jumbo eggs end up neatly arranged in their boxes!

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17. grid
Photography by Mangiwau/ Moment / Getty Images
Where would you find a cattle guard (also known as a cattle grid)?
In a gateway
In the ground under a gateway
In the farmyard
In the dairy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A cattle guard, or cattle grid, is a row of bars that you can put into a gateway to make sure cows cannot go through. It is useful for when you need humans or machines to go in and out frequently, and opening and shutting a gate would be too much effort. Of course, a cattle grid is permanent, but you can put a board over it should you decide you want your cows on the other side!

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18. spread
Wikicommons by Agri-Fab, Inc.
Known in Europe as a centrifugal fertilizer spreader, what device spreads certain types of seeds across the field as needed?
Broadcast seeder
Manure door
Fertilizer sprayer
Seed distributor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Individually planting every single seed is very labor-intensive and slow, hence the broadcast seeder, which makes sure they get to where they need to go. There was a somewhat automated version of the broadcast seeder. Early versions of this piece of equipment would drop seeds at the correct intervals.

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19. wired
Wikicommons by Logan King
When was barbed wire invented?
1721
Around 5,000 B.C.
1928
1867
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio, invented barbed wire in 1867. It was not as sophisticated as the modern variety, but it was a huge boon to farmers. Post-and-rail fencing is expensive and hard to maintain, while regular wire doesn't deter some types of animals from simply wandering through it.

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20. sheep
Photos by R A Kearton/ Moment / Getty Images
For which of these animals would you generally set your electric fence to the highest level?
Horse
Sheep
Cow
Goat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Electric fencing is light and portable, and the charge can be varied, depending on the animal you're protecting. The highest voltage should be used for sheep, as they have a thicker coat than most animals. If you accidentally make contact with the electric fence when the pulse comes through, you will notice!

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21. swather
Lisa Kyle Young/ Stockbyte/ Getty Images
Why would you use a swather?
To remove the chaff from the wheat
To pick pebbles and mud out of the crop
To tidy up cut crops so they can be picked up
To pick your crops
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A swather is a machine that organizes the cut crops into beautiful cornrows (also known as windrows) so they are easy to collect. This is incredibly important, as reducing the time between harvesting and collection saves on spoilage and loss to pests. Swathing is thus a key step in ensuring farmers don't work all year only to lose their crop before they can get it to market.

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22. head
Neil W Zoglauer/ Moment / Getty Images
Which of these is NOT an attachment for harvesting a certain type of crop?
Draper head
Auger head
Corn head
Seed head
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A draper head, auger head, or corn head are all attachments you might put on the front of your harvester to collect your crops. If you use the wrong machine, you can mangle your crop badly or cut it off too high to get the piece you wanted. These machines have replaced the scythe and sickle, and saved millions of backs from early destruction!

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23. seed
Henry Arden/ Cultura / Getty Images
What piece of equipment makes sure your seeds are neither too deep nor too shallow?
Seed drill
Measuring blade
No-till drill
Seeder spreader
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You have to put seeds deep enough that they can get a good grip on the soil and birds cannot eat them, but not so deep that the sunlight cannot help them to sprout, or so that there is too much soil between them and coming out of the ground. A seed drill helps to automate this previously laborious and difficult process.

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24. rice
Wikicommons by KVDP
What machine has transformed the speed with which a rice crop can go from field to market?
Ricer
Rice picker
Rice sorter
Rice huller
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rice does not come out of the ground in a nice neat little grain. It is inside a husk that has to be removed. Automating the fiddly and slow process of husking the rice has transformed the lives of literally billions of people by reducing the cost and labor involved in producing this staple crop.

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25. rock
Wikicommons by Tommi Pitenius
What machine speeds up the process of getting stones out of your field so you can farm it?
Rock eater
Rock picker
Boulder holder
Stone be-gone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you leave too many rocks in your field, or even a single one that is too large, you will not only blunt your plow or your harvester, you could easily break them. A rock picker helps you to identify and remove the bigger rocks so that you have a nice smooth surface that is ready to be plowed or harrowed.

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26. harrow
Josef Mohyla/ E+ / Getty Images
Why would you harrow instead of plow?
You are lazy.
Your soil or climate is the wrong type to plow.
It doesn't make any difference.
It has rained recently, and the soil is too sodden to plow.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Harrowing is appropriate where the topsoil is not deep or thick enough for plowing. When farmers over-plow their soil, it becomes too loose and crumbly and can erode in rain and wind. Making the right choice for the soil type prevents issues like the Dust Bowl occurring again.

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27. paper
Jose A. Bernat Bacete/ Moment / Getty Images
What essential piece of paper should you never operate farming equipment without?
Insurance
Certification for operator
Maintenance log
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You don't need a log or certificate for all farming equipment, but when it comes to a half-million-dollar combine harvester, there are regulations to follow, as well as a certain logic in making sure you have dotted every "I" and crossed every "T". These machines are generally specialized, and not everyone knows how to handle them.

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28. soil
Sergey Ryumin/ Moment / Getty Images
What modern piece of equipment do farmers use to ensure soil moisture is constantly monitored?
Probe
Meter
App
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Soil moisture is essential to ensure that plants have enough water but not too much. This avoids wasting water, which is especially important in drier climates. Over-watering plants also damages their output and can weaken the soil so that the roots become unstable.

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29. bale
Brad McGinley Photography/ Moment / Getty Images
After your baler has made a hay bale, what should happen to that bale?
Wrapping
Collection
Tedding
Rolling
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bales should be wrapped after they are made. There is even a machine that does the baling and wrapping in one process, though it is possible to use two or three machines. A baling machine is a delightful thing to watch in action, as it is rather comical. The bales go round and round on a small platform and then they are spat back onto the field's surface.

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30. tractor
mrs/ Moment / Getty Images
Which of these is NOT a brand of tractors?
Fendt
John Deere
Gippsland
Claas Tucano
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These are all brands that are big in farming. Gippsland is a brand of crop-dusting planes, but the others are all types of tractors. The fanciest tractors can cost over $500,000, while a "cheaper" one will still cost in the high five figures. Driving a tractor remains hard work, even with all the modern accoutrements.

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31. milk
Bonfanti Diego/ Cultura / Getty Images
On industrial-scale farms, what piece of equipment is no longer required in the milking process?
Bulk tank
Pulsator line
Human
Teat clip
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Automation in dairy is a challenge because cows respond to human touch and tend to be affectionate toward the dairyman if he is competent! As the cows move around and need to be soothed, reducing the number of people in the mix was a huge challenge. These days, there are still dairymen, but the physical and dangerous parts of the job can be automated. The human's job is to monitor the cows and make sure everything is going well.

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32. root
Enrique Díaz / 7cero/ Moment / Getty Images
What two functions of picking root vegetables can now be performed by a single machine?
Harvesting and cleaning
Harvesting and sorting
Harvesting and replanting
Stacking and cleaning
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The farming industry has been automating slowly compared to some businesses, mainly thanks to the low cost of labor and the stupendous costs of the equipment that displaces certain types of workers. Ultimately, a machine that picks olives, grapes, or anything as well-hidden as a potato, is a heck of a technological challenge, as it is not just a matter of identifying which is the part to pick, the machine also has to avoid squashing the produce! Only now are these machines becoming dextrous, smart and quick enough to replace people.

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33. water
Yuji Sakai/ DigitalVision / Getty Images
What is the process that delivers just the right amount of water to the roots of your crop?
Rain
Soil soaking
Drip irrigation
Archimedes screw
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Drip irrigation is superior to other forms as it monitors the flow and delivers the water only in the smallest possible amount required. As we mentioned, when it comes to soil moisture, too much or too little can be equally problematic and wasteful.

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34. farmer
partha dalal photography/ Moment / Getty Images
Farm equipment raises efficiency. By 1990, how many acres could one worker handle, on average?
740
2,250
120
80
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Today, one worker can farm an area of up to about 740 acres, which is slightly smaller than New York's Central Park. It may not seem like the most enormous slice of land, but in 1890, this number was 27.5 acres! It took humanity many years to get from the point that a worker could handle a couple of acres to handling just under 30, but only 100 years to leap by an order of magnitude. Electricity and the internal combustion engine are the key factors that prompted this.

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35. luddites
Wikicommons by Chris Sunde; original uploader was Christopher Sunde at en.wikipedia.
What is the name of the movement that would smash up then-modern farm equipment in protest against automation that was putting workers out of a job?
Luddites
Ammonites
Pinkertons
Cavemen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Luddites were based in the English counties of Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire, and they were opposed to textile and farming equipment. They felt that this would take away their jobs. To be fair to them, the percentage of people in farming has dropped tremendously, but the total number of jobs has gone up, and people generally went into safer and better roles, so their concern was largely misplaced.

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