I think a lot of folks who don't have an agricultural background mistake how different the processes are. Often when a person uses a hoe in modern times (for e

I think a lot of folks who don't have an agricultural background mistake how different the processes are. Often when a person uses a hoe in modern times (for example, urban gardeners), they use it the way one would use a plough - long troughs or lines, except that they then plant seeds in a a few locations on the line, with the belief that turning the earth has some significant impact. Tilling can be a valuable process depending on what you are growing, the quality of the soil, when it is done, etc, but it is very distinct from using a hoe to plant seeds. In practice, planting with a hoe is extremely light work, you turn the earth (or even just make a little hole), plant the seeds, maybe apply some fertilizer, or fresh soil, then close up the hole. With a plough, you cut a long line, usually with pack animal or mechanical assistance, and then follow and plant seeds along the entire line. This can mean managing a large animal, or operating heavy machinery, or both! Plus there is the issue of removing obstacles (dead trees/plants, rocks, and other debris). Setting aside the physical requirements for the different planting methods, there is also the issue of the capital cost of farming. https://blog.oup.com/2013/06/agriculture-gender-roles-norms-society/ https://blog.oup.com/2013/06/agriculture-gender-roles-norms-... is a decent high level article that covers how and why this is thought to contribute to gender roles.