No-Till Farming Systems for Sustaining Soil Health

Abstract

Agriculture in the next decades will have to produce more food on less land and purchased production inputs by making more efficient use of natural and applied resources. The practice of no-tillage (NT) is briefly described and its effect on physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes and how these led the transition from NT only to biodiverse and regenerative NT or Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems is discussed. No-tillage initially evolved as a way of reducing severe soil erosion associated with intensive tillage and favorably impacted soil properties. Further development of NT to also incorporate the use of stubble retention, diversified crop rotations, and cover crop mixes have transitioned us to CA with a wide range of agro-environmental benefits. The positive impact of NT lies in improved carbon (C) management and enhanced aggregate stability that provides for erosion control, more infiltration, and less runoff. The regenerative benefits of minimum soil disturbance, permanent mulch cover, and diversified cropping on yield are best obtained through enhanced C management for climate extreme mitigation and food security.