Question

Prior to sowing rice, a legume crop was cultivated and ploughed back in the field, why? Explain.

Answer 1

Prior to sowing rice, a legume crop was cultivated and ploughed back in the field because leguminous plant posses nitrogen-fixing bacteria (symbiotic bacteria, Rhizobium), it fixes the nitrogen, and the fixed nitrogen makes the soil rich in nitrogen which is essential for the growth of plants.