Question

What are the advantages of ploughing?

Answer 1

Hint: Soil is made ready before sowing of seed several methods and ploughing is one of them.

Complete answer:
Ploughing is the process involving loosening and turning of soil in agricultural fields. It is also known as tilling. Usually done with the help of a wooden or iron plough.

Advantages of ploughing the soil are:
- Tilling of soil helps in loosening and turning off the soil, the nutrient-rich soil is distributed evenly and also it improves aeration.
- Ploughing helps to improve the water retention ability of soil in the form of capillary water.
- It is essential for the uprooting of weeds and unwanted herbs.
- The decomposition of organic matter by aerobic bacteria is fastened due to improvement in air circulation.
- Improvement in the microbiome of the soil.
- Roots can easily penetrate the soil and provide a stronger foothold for the plant.

Additional Information:
- The process of crop production involves a total of seven steps, which are as follows:
Preparation of the soil
Sowing
Adding fertilizers and manures
Irrigation
Removal of weeds, herbs, and pests.
Harvesting
Storage
- Tools used for the preparation of the soil before sowing are:
Plough - used for tilling, the addition of fertilizers, weed removal, and turning of the soil.
Hoe - It mainly helps in the removal of the weeds and loosening of the soil.
Cultivator - Tractor with attached cultivators is used in ploughing.

Note: Ploughing should always be followed by another step known as levelling. After ploughing of the field big soil clumps known as crumbs may form. It is essential to remove these crumbs before sowing of seed for high yield, this is done with a leveller. It helps to bring uniformity over the land.