The reason for cracking in the soil is related to the type and amount of clay mineral in the soil. In cracked soils, there is montmorillonite clay, which has a molecular structure of 2:1. After irrigation or when it rains, water molecules enter between the clay packages and the clay swells, and when the weather gets hot or when there is no irrigation, the water between the clay packages evaporates. Therefore, cracks occur in the swollen clay. This type of clay is called swelling clay mineral. If the percentage of swelling clay in the soil is high, the cracks will be large and deep. If there is a plant in the field or garden, the capillary roots will break with cracking. This prevents the plant from taking water from the soil.
