World of Turf Exam 3 Practice

Cultivation disrupts the thatch layer and speeds its breakdown. Thatch is a layer of dead and living shoots that sits on the soil surface. When you cultivate, you loosen and mix the surface, increase air flow, and bring thatch material into contact with soil microbes that decompose it. This accelerates the degradation of thatch, so you end up with less thatch over time. The other options aren’t the direct outcome you’re measuring: cultivation isn’t primarily described by reducing soil compaction, and while reducing thatch can improve infiltration, the statement focuses on the change in thatch itself, which is why less thatch is the best answer.