Could be. But I think many arable farmers do 'direct drilling' which means you don't have to plough.
1. Spray entire field with herbicide [ignoring collateral damage to hedgerows and other nearby vegetation]
2. Drill seeds directly into the ground using some sort of gadget
3. Deluge with nitrogen based artificial fertiliser when new crop shows [many nearby wild plants can't stand this either]
No skylarks of course, but also no structure to the soil, and as you say...
Fortunately, in our immediate area, much of the farming is still livestock-based, partly through tradition but also because the area (cliff-tops, hillsides, etc) aren't suitable for crops, but further inland hedgerows have been grubbed out and all the above takes place.
1. Spray entire field with herbicide [ignoring collateral damage to hedgerows and other nearby vegetation]
2. Drill seeds directly into the ground using some sort of gadget
3. Deluge with nitrogen based artificial fertiliser when new crop shows [many nearby wild plants can't stand this either]
No skylarks of course, but also no structure to the soil, and as you say...
the 'soil' in many farm fields is little more than an inert medium for the crops which are then dependent on applications of 'food'
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