In agriculture, the roots of plants are in constant need of atmospheric oxygen to respire and release energy for their activities in the soil. The roots are an integral part of this process because aeration helps them breathe and not fade to absorb nutrients and transport them to other parts of the plant. When the crops or plants are starved of oxygen, the plant eventually dies; thus, planting in poorly aerated areas is not recommended for farming. The supply of oxygen underground helps avoid oxygen starvation in crops and reduce carbon dioxide levels which may be harmful in the subsurface air if they arise. According to Earth Observing System, soil aeration is when air is supplied underground by moving O2 and CO2 between the earth pores and the atmosphere.
Soil aeration has a wide range of benefits. The benefits are not limited to the growth of plants but are also necessary for aerobic earth-dwelling microorganisms. One of the benefits of soil aeration is that it helps promote healthy vegetation, which consequently results in high yields. When the soil is aerated correctly, the required nutrients needed for crop growth is provided; hence the availability of nutrients in the roots gives the crop a boost in growth to bear its expected fruits.
Through soil aeration, sulfur is represented by sulfate in aerated soils. The presence of this nutrient in the soil leads to the formation of chlorophyll that allows photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is very essential because it helps plants produce starch, sugars, fats and other compounds and at the end generate oxygen as a by-product. Under the system of poor aeration, sulfate turns into sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide is harmful to plant growth.
Soil aeration contributes to organic nitrogen fixation and mineralisation. The process of aeration helps aerobic bacteria to reduce organic nitrogen to plant-digestible forms. This process only functions under the proper aeration process. According to Earth Observing System, “poor aeration induces a split of nitrates to nitrous oxides (N20), which is among the potent gases contributing to greenhouse effect”.
Some crops suffer from manganese toxicity if excessive manganese exists in the soil in the soluble form. This condition can be corrected either by making the soil more aerated through tilling. It can also be corrected by improving the soil’s drainage or increasing the soil’s pH through the application of lime.
In cases where iron and manganese are in short supply, the soil may be subjected to anaerobic conditions. This condition can also be tackled by applying decomposable organic matter to it. With the application of decomposable organic matter, carbon dioxide would be produced. It would then react with water to produce carbonic acid, which slowly dissolves insoluble phosphate.
Soil aeration is however very important and needs to be given much attention as it is very essential to the growth of plants.
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