Introduction Conservation tillage has been one of the most rapidly adopted agricultural practices of the past 15 years (CTIC, 1983). The primary impetus for conservation tillage has been decreased soil erosion; fuel, labor, and machinery costs; and increased soil water storage and yields (USDA, 1975). Conservation tillage may be broad­ ly defined as tillage practices that reduce soil and water ...

In Zimbabwe, a broad-ridge and broad-furrow tillage system was promoted by the state, scientists and a nongovernmental organisation for its presumed agronomic and environmental viability and economic returns for small farmers. Zungwi vlei, a wetland of value to the community was transformed from a common use natural resource into a limited access broad-ridge and broad-furrow irrigation landscap...

Herbicides transported to surface waters by agricultural runoff are partitioned between solution and solid phases. Conservation tillage that reduces upland erosion will also reduce transport of herbicides associated with the solid phase. However, transport of many herbicides occurs predominantly in solution. Conservation tillage practices may or may not reduce transport of solution-phase herbic...

This study was designed to calibrate and evaluate the subsurface drain flow component of the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM; Version 2.5) for four tillage-systems: chisel plow (CP), moldboard plow (MB), no-tillage (NT), and ridge-tillage (RT). Measured subsurface drain flow data for 1990 was used for model calibration. Main parameters calibrated were lateral saturated hydraulic conductivi...

Agricultural and soil management practices have been reported to affect alachlor sorption–desorption and degradation rates. Though alachlor has been banned in the E.U. since 2006, it is still used in U.S. corn and soybean production. The objectives of this study were to: (a) assess differences in alachlor sorption due to tillage treatments (chisel plow and ridge tillage) on soils from three mid...

NT will reduce soybean grain yields and economic returns, particularly during the first few years of adoption. Farmers have been encouraged to adopt no-tillage (NT) because Soybean grain yield response to NT systems depends of its positive environmental effects compared with other conservation tillage systems. Nevertheless, poor crop performance under NT manmainly upon soil drainage and previou...

rotation is also more effective in preventing deep leaching of nitrate N than continuous corn (Katupitiya et al., Reduced tillage, including no-till, and crop rotation are common 1997; Varvel and Peterson, 1990). Reduced stress from practices for corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in the Midwest. Benefits of no-till vary with latitude pests may be one of the reas...

Soils play a key role in the global carbon cycle. They can be a source or a sink of carbon and in ̄uence CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In order to calculate the carbon budget of a region, the effect of soil management practices on carbon sequestration in soils needs to be quanti®ed. Objectives of this experiment were to determine: (i) the effects of ridge till, plow till and no-till on t...

Although different modifications of ridge tillage (RT) systems exist in regions around the world, positive impacts RT on crop yields and weed management are quite similar. This review gives a comprehensive summary forms highlights benefits for growth, mainly due to better access soil moisture, nutrients light. In temperate areas, can accelerate emergence because temperature is usually higher ri...

Mulching and tillage are widely considered to be major practices for improving soil and water conservation where water is scarce. This paper studied the effects of FM (flat mulching), RFM (ridge-furrow mulching), SM (straw mulching), MTMC (mulching with two materials combined), MOM (mulching with other materials), NT (no-tillage) ST (subsoiling tillage) and RT (rotational tillage) on wheat yiel...