Farm Agskills is a comprehensive guide to basic farm skills. Learn about rope knots, wire knots, the basics of electric and conventional fencing, calibrating farm machinery such as a seed drill, boom spray or fertiliser spreader, inoculating and lime pelleting legume seeds, estimating pasture yields, planting trees, soil testing and farm safety. Simple to follow with step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and full-colour pictures.

Farm AgSkills is part of the AgSkills series: books that provide clear explanations about a wide range of practical tasks performed in farming. Industry personnel and departmental officers have been involved in compiling these Agskills.

CHAPTERS

General safety precautions

Rope knots

The clove hitch

The bowline knot

The hay knot

The quick-release knot No. 1

The quick-release knot No. 2

The sheet bend knot

The eye splice

The crown knot

The back splice

Animal halter

Rope headstall

Fencing

Introduction to fencing

Clearing and sighting the fence line (including over a hill)

Erecting fence posts

Hanging a gate

Running out and tying off wires

Constructing a horizontal end assembly

Building a conventional fence step-by-step

Safety precautions for electric fencing

Wire joining for electric fences

Earthing an electric fence

Temporary electric fences

Testing the electric fence

Building an electric fence step-by-step

Further reading

Pastures

Estimating pasture yields

Seed drill calibration

Best-value fertiliser

Fertiliser spreader calibration

Check flow rate (pendulum or discs)

Check particle distribution

Inoculating and lime pelleting legume seed

Boom spray calibration

Trees

Introduction to trees

Planting trees

Direct seeding trees and shrubs

Soil

Determine soil texture

Preventing soil structure damage

Testing soil structural stability

Measure soil acidity

Taking soil samples

Soil infiltration

Appendix 1: Common classes of soil texture

Appendix 2: Managing work health and safety risks

What is a Safe Work Method Statement?

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