The initial cost of land leveling using contractors and machinery is high. The costs vary according to the topography, the shape of the field and the equipment used.
Once a field has been leveled, plowing techniques must be changed to keep it level. Farmers are encouraged to plow from the center of the field out rather than continuing to use the traditional technique of plowing from the outside of the field in to the center. If appropriate plowing techniques are used, re-leveling the whole field should not be necessary for at least eight to ten years. Measurements taken in fields in the second and third year after leveling have shown very little variation in surface topography. The levelness of the field has been maintained after two crops.
Although the initial cost of land leveling is an extra expense, a cash flow over a period of years shows that financial benefits do result from land leveling. There are major financial benefits to be gained through land leveling!
While poor farmers may have problems financing a contractor to level land, it is quite possible for all farmers to level part of their land each year using animals and harrows during the normal plowing cycle.
Level fields result in evenly ripened crop