Question

Soil is turned over during tilling. Give reasons.

Answer 1

Quality of soil is an important factor that determines yield in agriculture. Farmers use several methods in order to increase the soil quality according to the crops that are cultivated in it. Tilling is a process used by farmers in order to get better yield.

Complete step by step answer: Farmers cultivate their crops based on the properties of soil in that region. Soil differs mainly in properties like water holding capacity, water content, humus content, mineral content, and solid particles in them. We know that based on these factors, the soil is of different kinds.
Tilling is the process commonly used by the farmers on the soil before planting new crops. In this process, the soil is turned over for about 10 inches mechanically. Tilling has many advantages as it increases soil quality.
By turning over the upper layer of the soil, weeds that are growing between the crops will be placed under the soil. In this way, farmers get rid of them and use them to increase fertility at the same time. Tilling increases air spaces between soil particles so that the roots of plants can grow deeper into the soil. It also increases more aeration between the soil particles which is beneficial both for the plants and the small microbes present in the soil. During tilling, farmers often add manure and other fertilizers to the soil and it gets blended with the soil particles. By this, it increases the fertility of soil and yield will be increased.

Note: Although tilling is useful for agriculture, it also has some disadvantages. Turning the soil over disrupts the natural architecture of the soil. The binding between the soil particles is decreased and this may lead to increased surface runoff and soil erosion in flood-affected or hilly areas.