Under these conditions germination can fail completely. To properly germinate, seeds should be surrounded by moist soil. To take full advantage of water's tendency to rise to provide moisture between waterings, the soil should not be disturbed. If the soil compaction is broken, the particles are separated and the water has no way to move upward. If the soil layer containing the seeds becomes too coarse from tilling, the seeds are isolated from moisture rising to the surface.
Water reaching the seeds then depends on water passing downward from irrigation or rain.
There are several problems with germinating seeds this way. The high water use is not only wasteful, it's impractical. Overwatering will also leach nutrients out of the soil, nutrients that are necessary to starting a good growth. In some areas where soil and water are high in salts, excess water will build up the salts in the soil. Salty soil hinders the seed's ability to take up water through osmosis.