Question

How is the tilling of the soil useful for the crops growing in it?

Answer 1

Hint: Factors responsible for better crop production are optimum light, optimum temperature, optimum climate, water, fertilizer, and proper soil selection. If any of the factors is absent then crop growth will get affected. Soil is the most important factor for crop growth because it provides minerals, transport water, and air to the root of the crop.

Complete answer:
There are mainly four different types of soil present : sand, silt, clay, and loam. Out of the four soil loamy soil is best for cultivation because it is formed by a combination of sand, silt, and clay soil. loamy soil favors water retention, air circulation, and good drainage. But for better crop product soil also needs manure, compost, and sawdust which act as organic fertilizer for the plant. The decomposition of dead plant parts in the soil is also beneficial for crop production.
 When a crop grows it consumes all the essential nutrients from the soil and with the passage of time the soil becomes dead and hard. To overcome this problem tilling of the soil is necessary, tilling is a process in which soil gets to turn over the upper layer of soil and the downward layer of soil comes upward. The deeper the soil is tilled , the more it will be beneficial for crop growth. On an average farmer tilled the soil 10 inches deep which makes the soil loose and suitable for air and water conduction for the plant. After tilling, the addition of manure and compost make the soil ready for crop growth. Tilling of the soil generally takes place at the start of the winter season because soil can easily till when it is moist, not wet. Tilling of wet soil will make the soil rough. In small areas tilling is done with the help of a shovel and soil fork and for large areas tilling is done by tractor and rototiller.

Note: Tilling is very useful for soil but frequent tilling can disrupt soil structure and lead to soil erosion. Some time tilling of soil leads to the production of carbon in the air which causes global warming, therefore tilling should be done in the gap of 3-4 years.