No-till farming: prospects, challenges – productivity, soil health, and ecosystem services

Abstract

Globally, declining soil quality due to soil degradation is of great concern, and directly affects crop production, soil health and sustainability of natural resources. In conventional farming practices, the loss of fertile topsoil via runoff and erosion from arable land is a big concern. In addition, changes in land use and management practices result in loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock by −10–59%. The change from conventional till (CT) with residue burning/removal to no-till (NT) farming with residue retention/conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been recognised as important soil management practices for sustaining soil health and reversing land degradation. Worldwide, NT/CA practices are now being adopted on about 180 million ha (i.e. ∼14% of arable land). CA practices promote soil health by increasing organic carbon, and soil aggregation, thus improving infiltration and minimising erosion losses. In addition, CA has the potential to increase SOC sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and help to mitigate global climate change. Among sustainable food production systems, CA is often advocated with a view to increase food production while conserving natural resources and SOC. This special issue ‘No-till farming: prospects, challenges – productivity, soil health, and ecosystem services’ addresses and critically reviews these important issues and aims to foster awareness of NT farming. The collection of 15 papers lucidly covers various facets of NT farming. A summary and salient findings of these papers are provided in this Editorial. NT farming is a promising practice, which not only improves soil physical, chemical and biological health but also enhances carbon sequestration, crop productivity and mitigates GHG emissions through appropriate crop residue and nutrient management strategies. The adage says ‘one size won’t fit all’ or ‘a single recipe will not solve all problem/challenges’, so we need to adopt site-specific NT systems for higher benefits and productivity and sustaining soil health.

Conservation Agriculture and Soil Health: A Bibliographic Analysis and a Citation Mapping Process of the Effects of Wheat Straw on Soil

“…Globally, the long-term no-till farming challenges crop productivity, soil health, and ecosystem services address the direct effects on crop production and soil health compared to conventional farming practices, such as the loss of fertile topsoil via runoff and erosion or declining soil quality due to soil degradation [64]. On the contrary, studies on plant pathogenic fungi show that the no-till increases significantly in topsoil the soil-borne plant pathogens, e.g., Rhizoctonia solani, as well as the frequency of others, such as Pythium spp., compared with conventional tillage [65].…”

Harnessing Soil Potential: Innovation in Strategic Tillage and Management – New Perspectives

“…Research studies have indicated that strategic tillage can improve soil biological activity, increase nutrient availability, and enhance soil organic carbon content [22]. (ii) Weed control: tillage plays a crucial role in weed management by disrupting weed growth, burying weed seeds, and uprooting established weeds [16]. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of strategic tillage in suppressing weed populations and reducing weed biomass [23,24].…”

“…Tillage tools are employed to bring about desired effects such as pulverization, cutting, or movement of the soil. The primary goals of strategic tillage are to enhance soil structure, control weeds, manage crop residues, improve water intake and storage, facilitate root development, and promote optimal growing conditions for crops [16].…”

Impact of dose and adjuvant on herbicidal efficacy of birch‐based pyrolysis liquid

“…In northern regions, glyphosate is essential for controlling perennial weeds such as Elymus repens L. Gould (couch grass) (Tørresen et al, 2003). The need for an effective E. repens control using herbicides is growing due to an increase in the extent of no‐till farming, which benefits the environment (Jayaraman & Dalal, 2022; Seitz et al, 2021). Recently, Liu et al (2021a) reported that PL adequately controlled Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass) in a growth chamber experiment.…”