to be plowed and harrowed to soften it enough to be able to get the seeds to the right depth and make a good "seedbed", providing the right mix of moisture, stability, space and air for seed germination and root development. The plow digs up the earth and the harrow smooths the soil and breaks up any clumps. In the case that the soil is not as compacted as to need a plow, it can also be tilled by less deeply disturbing tools, before drilling. The least interruption of soil structure and soil fauna happens when a type of drilling machine is used which is outfitted to be able to "direct drill"; "direct" referring to sowing into narrow rows opened by single teeth placed in front of every seed-dispensing tube, directly into/ between the partly composted remains (stubble) of the last crop (directly into an untilled field). The drill must be set for the size of the seed used. After this the grain is put in the hopper on top, from which the seed grains flow down to the drill which spaces and plants the seed. This system is still used today but has been updated and modified over time in many aspects; the most visible example being very wide machines with which one farmer can plant many rows of seed at the same time. A seed drill can be pulled across the field, depending on the type, using draft animals, like bullocks or by a power engine, usually a tractor. Seeds sown using a seed drill are distributed evenly and placed at the correct depth in the soil. Precursors In older methods of planting, a field is initially prepared with a plow to a series of linear cuts known as furrows. The field is then seeded by throwing the seeds over the field, a method known as manual broadcasting. The seeds may not be sown to the right depth nor the proper distance from one another. Seeds that land in the furrows have better protection from the elements, and natural erosion or manual raking will cover them while leaving some exposed. The result is a field planted roughly in rows, but having a large number of plants outside the furrow lanes. There are several downsides to this approach. The most obvious is that seeds that land outside the furrows will not have the growth shown by the plants sown