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Mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization have been widely studied due to their relevance in the global carbon cycle. No-till (NT) has been frequently adopted to sequester SOC; however, limited information is available regarding whether sequestered SOC will be stabilized for long term. Thus, we reviewed the mechanisms affecting SOC stability in NT systems, including the priming effects (PE), molecular structure of SOC, aggregate protection, association with soil minerals, microbial properties, and environmental effects. Although a more steady-state molecular structure of SOC is observed in NT compared with conventional tillage (CT), SOC stability may depend more on physical and chemical protection. On average, NT improves macro-aggregation by 32.7%, and lowers SOC mineralization in macro-aggregates compared with CT. Chemical protection is also important due to the direct adsorption of organic molecules and the enhancement of aggregation by soil minerals. Higher microbial activity in NT could also produce binding agents to promote aggregation and the formation of metal-oxidant organic complexes. Thus, microbial residues could be stabilized in soils over the long term through their attachment to mineral surfaces and entrapment of aggregates under NT. On average, NT reduces SOC mineralization by 18.8% and PE intensities after fresh carbon inputs by 21.0% compared with CT (p < .05). Although higher temperature sensitivity (Q10 ) is observed in NT due to greater Q10 in macro-aggregates, an increase of soil moisture regime in NT could potentially constrain the improvement of Q10 . This review improves process-based understanding of the physical and chemical mechanism of protection that can act, independently or interactively, to enhance SOC preservation. It is concluded that SOC sequestered in NT systems is likely to be stabilized over the long term.

In Huang-Huai-Hai plain of China, farmers collect the maize straw for livestock during maize harvest to increase their revenue. To maintain the sustainable productivity of the soil, all straw after the wheat harvest is returned to the field. This straw brings difficulties in the no-till seeding for maize after wheat harvest, and thus it is necessary to develop efficient no-till seeders that can cope with heavy residue and improve sowing quality. In this work, we designed a wide-strip-till no-till pneumatic maize (WNPM) seeder to satisfy the need in this plain. The key parameters of the opposite-placed anti-blocking mechanism of the WNPM seeder were determined via the discrete element method (DEM) technology, while the parameters of the pneumatic maize seed meter were specified using the coupled simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and DEM. We also carried out field experiment to test the performance of our machine. Under the operating speed of 8 km/h, the soil disturbance was 38.2%. Moreover, the straw cleaning rate achieved 94.4% in the seeding belt while the residue cover index of the seed plot was over 58%, and the seeding performance was improved significantly. The qualified seed spacing index, uniformity variation coefficient, qualified index of sowing depth and variation coefficient of sowing depth were 96.6%, 19.1%, 95.1% and 3.2%, respectively. In general, the WNPM seeder improves the working efficiency of maize sowing because both the reliable working speed and the sowing quality were increased. These results are of considerable importance for crop production in Huang-Huai-Hai plain of China.

Relevance. The article presents a comparative analysis of methods of basic tillage-classical dump plowing and technologies of minimal and no-till tillage. Question about the benefits of minimum and zero tillage on intensive up to the present time remains controversial. However, minimum and zero tillage systems are becoming increasingly common in the world as a response to increasing degradation and reduced soil productivity.Methods. Various publications on this topic were analyzed. Various studies show mixed results.Results. The analysis shows the following advantages of minimum and zero processing: costeffectiveness; prevention of soil erosion; maintaining fertility in the upper soil layer; preservation of soil moisture and vertical soil structure. The use of resource-saving technologies can not only preserve soil fertility and reduce the economic costs of its cultivation, but also prevent the degradation of farmland caused by erosion processes. Resource-saving technologies mean not only the abandonment of annual moldboard plowing, but also leaving crop residues on the field, the use of integrated weed control measures, the use of scientifically based crop rotations. Failure to meet these conditions will negate the effectiveness of minimum tillage. Minimum processing continuity is of particular importance. Any soil cultivation in the transitional phase means a return to the initial phase, and this should not be allowed. To ensure high productivity of resource-saving technologies, it is necessary to apply a well-grounded crop rotation system. An important factor in the use of resource-saving technologies in agriculture is economic efficiency. As experience shows, at the same yield level (20 cwt / ha), profitability with resource-saving technologies reaches 93.7%, while with a usual one — 55.4%. A comparative analysis of the methods of basic tillage shows that the advantages of minimal and no tillage are possible only in the presence of a high culture of agriculture. These advantages are as follows: cost-effectiveness; prevention of soil erosion; maintaining fertility in the upper soil layer; preservation of soil moisture and vertical soil structure.

A field experiment was conducted at Experiment farm of Agronomy Department, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, during season rabi-2019, to study the effect of tillage and crop residue management practices on yield and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum l.) under conservation agriculture. The experimental plot was laid out in split plot design of fifteen treatment combinations replicated thrice. Where in main plot consist of three tillage practices viz., Zero tillage (T1), Reduced tillage (T2) and Conventional tillage (T3) and sub plot to five crop residue management practices viz., crop residue @ 2.5t/ha (R1), crop residue @ 5t/ha (R2), crop residue @ 2.5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha (R3), crop residue @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha (R4) and without crop residue (R5).The study of experiment showed that reduced tillage and crop residue application @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha was found significantly higher grain yield. Gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio were recorded highest with reduced tillage and crop residue application @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha. Each increment of tillage and crop residue application correspondingly improved yield as well asgross returns, net returns and B:C ratio of wheat.

A field experiment was conducted at Langthabal Makha Leikai, Imphal West, Manipur, India during the rabi season of 2018-2019 to study the response of different rapeseed and mustard varieties on growth and yield under zero tillage conditions. The results indicated that the adoption of zero tillage had significant response on growth, yield and yield attributes on different rapeseed and mustard varieties. The variety NRCHB-101 gave the maximum seed yield (930.20 kg/ha) and stover yield (1804.45 kg/ha) while for harvest index, the variety TS-38 was found highest (34.41%). The variety NRCHB-101 recorded the maximum net return (₹23,237/ha) and benefit cost ratio (1.99) among the rapeseed and mustard varieties. From this research output, it can be concluded the variety NRCHB-101 may be used on commercial scale by the farmers in terms of productivity and profitability making mustard cultivation viable.

The residual effects of gypsum rates and the interaction with N -fertilization on soil fertility, black oat root growth and aboveground biomass yield under no till lacks information. This study evaluated soil chemical attributes up to 0.8 m depth and aboveground biomass of black oat in a continuous no-till area as affected by gypsum rates (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 Mg ha−1) and topdressing N -fertilization (0, 50 and 100 kg ha−1) to a Typic Hapludox in Southern Brazil. Black oat root growth was also evaluated for two gypsum rates (0 and 6 Mg ha−1) and all N treatments. Gypsum application increased Ca2+ and SO42−-S fraction and reduced Mg2+ levels in all soil layers, and N -fertilization increased NO3− and NH4+ levels in the soil. Gypsum increased root length, superficial area and volume up to 0.8 m depth, while N-fertilization reduced root growth attributes in soil layers between 0.4 and 0.8 m depth. Gypsum increased (quadratically) the aboveground biomass yield of black oats in the two growing seasons, as did N-fertilization, but no interaction between gypsum and N -fertilization was observed. Gypsum can be used to improve soil fertility attributes, black oat biomass and root growth under no till. The higher N -fertilization (100 kg ha−1) increased black oat yield and reduced root growth in depth. In the average of the growing seasons, the gypsum rate of 7.36 Mg ha−1 applied 54 months earlier, associated with a rate of at least 50 kg ha−1 of N (urea) applied at the beginning of black oat tillering achieved the higher aboveground biomass yield.

The trials were set up in Busia, Embu and Kirinyaga Counties to assess the effect of tillage methods and application of different fertilizer combinations on maize productivity in the lower and upper midland agro-ecological zones of Kenya. Tillage methods were no-tillage (NT) with crop residue retention as mulch (+CR) (NT+CR) and conventional tillage (CT) without crop residue retention on farm surface (-CR) (CT-CR) while fertilizer combinations were NK, NP, PK, NPK, and NPK+CaMgZnBS. The N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, B and S nutrients were applied at the rates of 120, 40, 40, 10, 10, 5 and 26.3 kg ha-1, respectively. The trials were laid in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and replicated three times. The results showed that maize leaf area index, plant height, aboveground biomass, crop growth rate, and grain yield were significantly higher under CT-CR than under NT+CR in most of the sites. The CT-CR system out-yielded NT+CR system by 0.3 t ha-1 and 0.6 t ha-1 maize grain in Alupe and Kirinyaga, respectively. However, NT+CR system out-yielded CT-CR system by 0.4 t ha -1 maize grain at Embu. Across all the sites, application of PK and NPK+ZnBMgCaS fertilizer combinations resulted, respectively, in lowest and highest maize shoot biomass, leaf area indices, crop growth rates, plant heights, and grain yields. Based on this result alone, the potential of conservation agriculture in improving yields compared to conventional tillage could not be conclusive despite consistently recording higher soil moisture content across all sites and better yields in Embu. Again, application of a wide range of nutrients may be beneficial to maize production in the study areas as evidenced in the study. Therefore, we recommend multi-season and multi-location trials to comprehensively assess the impact of tillage methods and fertilizer management, particularly in relation to micronutrients.

Field experiments were conducted for four years (2014-2017) at five locations namely Salbani, Bhokraha, Simariya, Bhaluwa and Kaptanganj of Sunsari district to assess the changes in soil chemical properties under conservation agriculture (CA)-based practices in two cropping systems namely rice-kidney bean-maize at Salbani and rice-wheat at rest of the locations. In rice-wheat cropping system, there were four treatments: (1) conventional tillage (CT) for rice transplantation and subsequent wheat sowing, (2) conventional tillage rice transplantation followed by zero tillage (ZT) wheat, (3) unpuddled rice transplantation followed by zero tillage wheat, (4) zero tillage in both rice and wheat. Similarly, in rice-kidney bean-maize cropping system, there were four treatments; (1) conventional tillage for rice transplantation and sowing of both kidney bean and maize, (2) conventional tillage rice transplantation followed by zero tillage in both kidney bean and maize, (3) unpuddled rice transplantation followed by zero tillage in both kidney bean and maize, (4) zero tillage in all three crops. Soil samples were taken at initial and every year after rice harvest.The soil samples were analyzed for total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, pH and soil organic matter.Total nitrogen (N) showed a slightly decreasing trend in the first three years and showed a slight increase at the end of experiment under ZT in all locations. The total N under ZT changed from 0.12 to 0.13%, 0.05 to 0.06%, 0.10 to 0.12%, 0.11 to 0.08% and 0.09 to 0.13% in Salbani, Bhokraha, Simariya, Bhaluwa and Kaptanganj, respectively. All locations showed the positive values of available potassium; Salbani revealing considerable change of 64.3 to 78.5 mg/kg in CT while 68.4 to 73.3 mg/kg in ZT condition. The treatment where rice was transplanted in unpuddled condition and zero tilled to wheat, had a mean value of available phosphorus and potassium as 87.3 and 81.9 mg/kg respectively. Soil pH ranged from 4.8 to 7.1 in CT while it was 5.2 to 6.8 in ZT across the locations. The change in soil organic matter in CT of all locations except Salbani was narrower as compared to ZT.

Iron (Fe) deficiency is a major health issue worldwide, which can be alleviated by biofortification. Agronomic biofortification is a practical solution to overcome the Fe deficiency in cereals without sacrificing on yield. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Fe application on productivity, grain biofortification, and grain quality of bread wheat under conventional and conservation production systems. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split-plot arrangement where wheat was sown under conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) systems and Fe was applied through various methods (no Fe application, seed priming (0.3% Fe solution), seed coating (250 mg kg−1 seed), basal application (12 kg ha−1), and foliar spray (0.5% Fe solution)). Iron nutrition significantly enhanced the yield and related traits and grain fat and protein contents. Averaged across two years, grain yield improvement from different Fe application methods was in the order of seed priming>basal application>foliar application>seed coating with respective increase of 33%, 28%, 25%, and 21% relative to control treatment. Grain Fe concentration was 65% and 58% higher with Fe foliar application compared with control during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. Interaction of tillage systems and Fe nutrition highlighted that 1000-grain weight and grain yield were improved, whereas Fe seed priming in ZT system provided maximum 1000-grain weight and grain yield. The Fe application through either method proved to be profitable and the highest benefit-cost ratio was obtained with Fe foliar application. Among tillage systems, the highest net benefits were obtained with ZT. Zero tillage significantly improved the soil microbial biomass carbon, soil microbial biomass nitrogen, and soil organic carbon by 9.25%, 2.5%, and 14%, respectively, compared with CT. In conclusion, Fe seed priming in both tillage systems improved the yield, and proved to be the most cost-effective, whereas foliar application improved the grain Fe concentration in both tillage systems.

Conservation practices (CA) are one of the most suitable options to improve productivity and ensure food security. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices such as zero tillage (ZT) and permanent raised beds (PB) accelerate deposition of soil organic matter, reduce compaction and bulk density. Therefore, we analysed the effect of three medium-term tillage practices and three intensive crop rotations on selected physical properties of soil. The tillage practices consist of ZT, PB and conventional tillage (CT) in main plots and three crop rotations (MM, maize–maize; MW, maize–wheat; MC, maize– chickpea) in subplots. The experimental design was split-plot with three replications. After 7 years, we observed a significant positive effect of CA practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, soil compaction, bulk density, root length density (RLD) of maize. Thus, our medium-term (≥5-years) study showed that the combination of CA (PB and ZT) practices and appropriate choice of rotations (MC) appears to be the most appropriate option for restoration and improvement of the soil health of medium to coarse textured Inceptisols through the accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) and improvement in soil physical properties.

A field experiment entitled “The effect of tillage and weed management practices on yield and nutrient uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum L)” was carried out at Agronomy research form, N.D University of Agriculture and Technology Narendra Nagar, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) during rabi season of 2017-18 to find out the effect of various tillage and weed management practices on growth, yield attribute, yield, nutrients, uptake, change in Physico- chemical properties of soil after harvesting the wheat crop and economic of various treatments. The combination of the five tillage systems (CT, ZT, CT, ZT+R, and ZT+R) and three weed management practices (Clodinafop + metsulfuron 60+4 g ha-1 + one hand weeding) was laid out in Split Plot Design and replicated thrice. The soil of the experiment field was silt loam in texture and medium in fertility status. The result revealed that among various tillage and weed management practices conventional tillage (CT) and Clodinafop + metsulfuron 60+4 g ha-1 + one hand weeding were found effective as compared to zero tillage system in increasing growth, yield attributes and yield of wheat during 2017-18. Adaptation of conventional tillage along with integrated weed management practices was also found most effective in increasing the uptake of nutrient. It can be concluded that under wet land condition for obtaining, better growth, yield attributes grain and straw yield, nutrients uptake, conventional tillage should be adopted / applied in wheat crop. However, for improving soil health, zero tillage + crop residue should be applied.

Field experiment was conducted in three factorial strip split plot design to evaluate the effect of two establishment methods (EM) i.e. transplanted in puddled soil (Pu-TPR) and direct seeded in zero tillage (ZT-DSR), two residue levels i.e. residue kept at 3 t ha -1 (RK) and no residue (RR) with two nitrogen doses i.e. recommended dose (100 kg N ha -1) (RD) and farmers' dose (50 kg N ha-1) (FD) with six replications with individual plot size of 5.4 m × 6.3 m on rice variety Ram-Dhan during the year 2016. Nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiencies and yield of rice were recorded. Straw nitrogen uptake was significantly higher in ZT-DSR than Pu-TPR. Similarly, grain straw and total nitrogen uptake were significantly higher in residue applied and recommended dose of nitrogen than no-residue applied and farmers-nitrogen dose treatments respectively. Nitrogen efficiency ratio and physiological efficiency index were significantly higher in Pu-TPR and no-residue applied treatments while partial factor productivity was higher in residue applied treatment. All nitrogen use efficiencies like partial factor productivity, nitrogen efficiency ratio and physiological efficiency index were significantly influenced by nitrogen dose and seen higher in recommended dose of nitrogen. Establishment methods had no significant effect on grain yield but straw yield was significantly higher in ZT-DSR but harvest index was seen higher in Pu-TPR. Grain yield and straw yield were significantly higher in residue applied treatment and recommended nitrogen but harvest index was higher in farmers-nitrogen dose.

Soil degradation and water erosion are undoubtedly serious global problems. Moreover, excessive surface runoff and the lack of water in landscape are problems encountered not only in the Czech agricultural land. This condition is unsustainable in the long-term and it is necessary to find, verify and quantify suitable agricultural methods for reducing soil degradation. In this study, we tested two soil conservation technologies for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) cultivation. Our results show that erosion was reduced by more than 78% (no-till) and 89% (no-till: narrow row) in rainfall simulation on naturally moist soil compared to conventional cultivation. Also, the use of conservation technologies reduced surface runoff (52% no-till, 68% no-till: narrow row). Sorghum has similar agronomic requirements as maize but it has the advantage of a good dryness tolerance and a high water use efficiency. The two-year research (2014, 2017) took place in the Central Bohemian Region. Soil degradation was verified using a rainfall simulator. The results have shown that both no-till technologies have a significant (P < 0.05) soil conservation effect.

Conservation agriculture has potential for conserving the resources and enhancing productivity to achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture. Long term conservation agriculture experiment was started with main plot treatments include zero tillage raised and flat bed, with or without residue retention on surface, after six years reduced dose of nutrients as subplots at Agricultural Research Station, Bheemarayanagudi is situated in North Eastern Dry Zone (Zone-2) of Karnataka. The soil was red sandy loam. Every year same crop Pigeonpea was cultivated. The rainfall received during 2015 was 437.6 mm, which was 17.1 percent low compared to average. Rainfall received during 2016 was 398.2 mm, which was 24.56 percent low compared to average. Pooled results of the experiment revealed that zero tillage raised bed with residue retention produced higher seed and stalk yield, sustainable yield index, organic carbon and nutrient availability and uptake than other treatments. Among the nutrient doses 100 percent given higher yield and nutrient content and uptake, but economics net returns and B:C ratio were higher where zero nutrient doses. Finally, interaction of zero tillage raised bed with residue retention along with 100 percent application of nutrient dose produced higher yields but were on far with 75 and 50 percent of nutrient doses. Thus, in long term conservation agriculture practices, nutrient dose requirement can be reduced to 50 percent in pigeonpea grown under dryland conditions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of controlled traffic farming (CTF) with respect to soil physical properties and crop yield for Swedish conditions. Three field trials were conducted for six growing seasons in central and southern Sweden. In two of the trials, we compared CTF with random traffic farming (RTF) in deep chiseling (DC, 15-20 cm), shallow cultivation (SC, 5-10 cm) and no-till. The third trial was on farm study by using the existing CTF module at the farm. In the tracks of CTF (traffic zone) dry bulk density was increased and water movement was decreased. Soil penetration resistance was greater in the traffic zone than in the crop zone in some of the trials but the difference was not statistically significant. On average, crop yield was similar between CTF and RTF for all trials. Yield in the traffic zone was significantly less than that in the crop zone in the on-farm trial, but the yield in both zones were similar in the field trial at Lonnstorp, south Sweden. On the contrary, in the field trial at Saby 1 in Uppsala, central Sweden, crop zone produced less yield than traffic zone probably because of too loose soil, which impaired the uptake of nutrients and water. We conclude that if vehicle weight is not very high and the soil is not vulnerable to compaction, dual wheels and CTF are equal options.

Conservation agriculture has been shown to have multiple benefits for soils, crop yield and the environment, and consequently, no-till, the central practice of conservation agriculture, has rapidly expanded. However, studies show that the potential for carbon (C) sequestration in no-till farming sometimes is not realized, let alone the ability to maintain or improve crop yield. Here we present a global analysis of no-till-induced changes of soil C and crop yield based on 260 and 1,970 paired studies; respectively. We show that, relative to local conventional tillage, arid regions can benefit the most from conservation agriculture by achieving a win-win outcome of enhanced C sequestration and increased crop yield. However, more humid regions are more likely to increase SOC only, while some colder regions have yield losses and soil C loss as likely as soil C gains. In addition to site-specific characteristics and management, a careful assessment of the regional climate is needed to determine the potential benefits of adopting conservation agriculture.

Long‐term tillage and straw incorporation significantly affect soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and crop yield. However, the studies on the SOC sources under multicropping system are relatively few. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage on SOC and crop yields and distinguish the SOC sources from wheat (C3) and maize (C4). Therefore, the dynamics of SOC, SOC sequestration, and crop yield were evaluated during 15 years of conservation agriculture under conventional tillage (CT), subsoiling (ST), rotary tillage (RT), and zero tillage (ZT) without or with straw incorporation (CTS, STS, RTS, and ZTS, respectively). The results indicated that the highest mean SOC concentration in the 0‐ to 30‐cm soil was found under STS (11.80 g kg⁻¹), which increased by 2.29 g kg⁻¹ than that under CT, whereas RT had the lowest mean SOC concentration (8.10 g kg⁻¹). The increases in annual yield ranged from 0.58 (ZT) to 4.93 (ST) Mg ha⁻¹ during 2005–2017. In comparison with the annual yield of CT, that of STS increased by 2 Mg ha⁻¹ and was significantly higher than other treatments (p

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the plant height, yield and yield attributes of wheat under different tillage practices and nitrogen level at Dang, Nepal during winter season 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with two tillage practices viz. zero tillage and conventional tillage as main plot factor and four level of N viz. 50 kg ha-1, 75 kg ha-1, 100 kg ha-1and 125 kg ha-1 as sub plot factor and each replicated thrice. The result revealed that there is no significant relation between tillage practice and plant height of wheat while N level significantly affect the plant height. 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest plant height (110.7 cm). Zero tillage recorded the highest effective tiller m-2 (254) and grain yield (3.3 t ha-1) whereas spike length, grain spike-1, biological yield and harvest index were not significant with tillage practices. Regarding the N level, 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest effective spike m-2 (279), spike length (10.6 cm), grain spike-1 (48), thousand grain weight (46.3 g), grain yield (3.6 t ha-1) and biological yield (9.4 t ha-1). 50 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest harvest index (42.9%). The interaction between the tillage practice and nitrogen level showed the significant effect on grain yield and harvest index where as other parameters showed non-significant relation. The zero tillage with 125 kg N ha-1 recorded the highest grain yield (3.9 t ha-1).

Tillage activities play a crucial role in impacting soil physical and chemical properties, which in turn alter soil biochemical activities and microbial community structure. In this study, responses of soil biochemical activities and microbial community structure to short‐term (NTS, 10 years) no‐till (NT) systems were studied in comparison with conventional till (CT) at four different locations (Garretson, Crooks, Beresford and Mitchell) in South Dakota, USA. Data showed that the NTL resulted in increased soil labile and microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) compared with the CT treatment at the Garretson, Crooks and Beresford sites. At the Crooks and Beresford sites, soils under NTL and NTS had significantly increased the β‐glucosidase, urease, arylamidase, acid and alkaline phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzyme activities compared with those under CT treatment. The β‐glucosidase, urease, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzyme activities showed significant correlations with the microbial biomass content of the soils. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis showed increased PLFA content in NTL soils compared with the CT. The content of total bacterial, actinobacterial, Gram‐positive bacterial, total fungal, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) and saprophyte PLFAs was consistently increased in the NTL and NTS compared with the CT soils at the Garretson site. These differences were more pronounced between NTL and CT systems than between NTS and CT systems in most of the studied sites. The findings suggest that usage of NT for a longer duration is highly beneficial to soil labile C and N pool retention and enzyme activities, and provides less disturbance to soil microbial activities and their functions, which in turn regulates nutrient transformation. Our results also suggest that converting CT soils into NT can improve some soil health indicators even over a short duration, and hence adopting NT can enhance soil microbial and plant growth. HIGHLIGHTS: NTS and NTL systems increased soil labile C and N and microbial biomass as compared to CT Total fungi biomass was significantly enhanced under NT compared with CT Short‐term NT significantly increased β‐glucosidase activity at Crooks and Beresford sites compared to CT Compared to the CT system, NT significantly increased soil biological health

Food security involves the sustainable utilization of soil and land resources. Zero‐tillage (ZT) practice is a proponent of better resource utilization, to improve soil physical condition, and a potential sink to atmospheric carbon. However, the impact varies across climates, over the ZT history, cropping systems, and soil depths. A meta‐analysis was performed, based on 4,131 paired data from 522 studies spread globally, to evaluate the effect of ZT in comparison to conventional tillage, on soil physical condition (bulk density; mean weight diameter of aggregates; field capacity water content; and steady‐state infiltration rate), soil organic carbon (SOC) content, and the root response (root length density). Zero‐tillage significantly improved mean weight diameter of aggregates and field capacity water content at surface and subsurface layers by 19–58% and 6–16%, respectively, and resulted in no change in bulk density in either of the layers, but infiltration rate increased by 66%. Surface 0‐ to 5‐ and 5‐ to 10‐cm layers had significantly higher SOC content under ZT, whereas in other layers, the SOC content either reduced or did not change, resulting in a small and insignificant variation in the SOC stock (~1.1%) in favor of ZT. The root length density improved by ~35% in ZT only at 0‐ to 5‐cm soil depth. Effect of climate, soil type, or cropping system could not be broadly recognized, but the impact of ZT certainly increased over time. Improvements in soil aggregation and hydraulic properties are highly convincing with the adoption of ZT, and therefore, this practice leads to the better and sustainable use of soil resources.

In the current study, the temporal distribution of both soil water and soil NO3–N under several conservation agriculture (CA) practices during the wheat crop growth were characterized by HYDRUS-2D model. Treatments comprised of conventional tillage (CT), permanent broad beds (PBB), zero tillage (ZT), PBB with residue (PBB+R) and ZT with residue (ZT+R). Hydraulic inputs of the model, comprising the measured value of Kfs, α and n, obtained as the output of Rosetta Lite model were optimized through inverse modeling. Model predicted the daily change in soil water content (SWC) of the profile during the simulated period (62–91 DAS) with good accuracy (R2 = 0.75; root mean squared error (RMSE) = 0.038). In general, soil water balance simulated from the model showed 50% lower cumulative drainage, 50% higher cumulative transpiration along with higher soil water retention, in PBB+R than CT. Reported values of the first-order rate constants, signify nitrification of urea to NH4–N (μa) (day−1) nitrification of NH4–N to NO3–N (μn) (day−1) and the distribution coefficient of urea (Kd−in cm3 mg−1) were optimized through inverse modeling. Later they were used as solute transport reaction input parameters of the model, to predict the daily change in NO3–N of the profile with better accuracy (R2 = 0.83; RMSE = 4.62). Since NH4–N disappears fast, it could not be measured frequently. Therefore, not enough data could be generated for their use in the calibration and validation of the model. Results of simulation of daily NO3–N concentration indicated a higher concentration of NO3–N in the surface layer and its leaching losses beyond the root zone were relatively lesser in PBB+R, than CT, which resulted in less contamination of the belowground water. Thus, the study clearly recommended PBB+R to be adopted for wheat cultivation in maize–wheat cropping system, as it enhances the water and nitrogen availability in the root zone and reduce their losses beyond the root zone.

Ecological features of No-till technology in the conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine The effect of No-till technology on soil density, soil moisture reserves, soil microbiological activity, and crop yields was studied. The increase in crop yield up to 14.3-22.9% by No-till technology allowed us to draw a conclusion about optimizing soil fertility indicators in the climatic conditions of the southern Steppe zone of Ukraine in comparison with traditional intensive technologies. It was shown that the introduction of No-till technology will allow improve environmental processes in the soil, reduce the anthropogenic load on agroecosystems and the manifestation of erosion processes, increase crop yields and reduce energy costs for their cultivation. Keywords: soil, No-till technology, soil density, soil moisture, fertility, yield.

Removal of biomass for bioenergy production may decrease soil organic carbon. While perennials or cover‐cropped grains often have greater root production than annual grain crops, they variably impact soil carbon and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We used high‐frequency measurements of soil respiration and natural abundance carbon stable isotopes to differentiate respiration sources, pool sizes, and decomposition rate constants during a 10 month incubation of soils collected to 1 m depth from a 10 year old field experiment in Iowa, United States. Conversion of corn–soybean rotations to reconstructed prairies or addition of a rye cover crop to continuous corn significantly altered respiration sources and dynamics of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon (turnover times of weeks to months–years, respectively), but had little effect on bulk soil carbon and several extractable pools (except in fertilized prairie). Both unfertilized and fertilized prairies increased slow‐cycling carbon pools relative to annual crops, but only in 0–25 cm soil. Compared with fertilized prairie, the unfertilized prairie significantly increased decomposition rates of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon pools in 0–25 cm soil, likely explaining the lack of significant bulk soil carbon accrual despite twofold greater root production. Carbon derived from C4 plants decomposed faster than C3‐derived carbon across all depths and cropping systems and contributions of C3‐carbon to respiration increased with depth. Respiration of cover crop‐derived carbon was greatest in 0–25 cm soil but comprised >25% of respiration below 25 cm, implying a disproportionate impact of the cover crop on deep soil metabolism. However, the cover crop also increased the decomposition rates of fast‐ and slow‐cycling carbon pools and decreased their pool sizes across all depths relative to corn without a cover crop. Despite their notable environmental benefits, neither unfertilized perennials nor cover crops necessarily promote rapid soil carbon sequestration relative to conventional annual bioenergy systems because of concomitant increases in decomposition.

HighlightsAftermarket closing wheels increased corn emergence by 2% over standard rubber wheels.Yield was not significant by closing wheel type.Abstract. Producers are increasingly adopting cover crops and no-till planting for a variety of reasons including improving soil fertility and reducing energy inputs. However, adopting these practices may require changes in equipment and management strategy; therefore, research is needed to develop best practices for producers to reduce the risk and encourage adoption. The use of aftermarket closing wheels has been cited as a method to improve emergence under no-till conditions as preparing an ideal seedbed can be more difficult under these conditions due to limited seed-soil contact and side wall compaction. The effect of three aftermarket and the standard rubber closing wheels on emergence and yield under no-till planting of corn into heavy crop residue or cover crops was measured at three Wisconsin locations using a randomized complete block experimental design. Soil temperature and moisture was also monitored during the growing season. Corn plant emergence was measured at least three times to estimate the rate of emergence as a function of growing degree units using air and soil temperatures. The final emergence of corn planted with an aftermarket wheel was found to be significantly higher than the standard rubber closing wheel (p=0.069, a=0.1) across all locations. Yield was not found to be significant by wheel type most likely due to differences in field history and in season management practices. Keywords: Closing wheel, Cover crop, Emergence, No-till, Planter set-up.

Fungi diseases are major diseases of Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) in the major growing areas of the crop in Cameroon. This study was conducted between March and June in the cropping seasons of 2019 and 2020 to determine the effect of some cultural strategies viz.: tillage and no till, variation of sowing date and removal of diseased leaves on the incidence and severity of leaf spot disease caused by Phoma sorghina. There were four sowing dates, and two tillage systems with no variation in planting distance in the two cropping seasons. The design used was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were three plots for each sowing date within each replication. Seeds were sown at the rate of 1 m × 1 m, with four seeds per experimental unit. Data for disease incidence and severity was recorded every fortnight, commencing three weeks after emergence (WAE) and for a period of eight weeks for each sowing date. Disease incidence and severity was determined using Microsoft Excel 2010 and the data was subjected to statistical analysis and the means separated by Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 95% confidence interval. In addition, the relationship between disease incidence and disease severity was also determined using Pearson correlation. Analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference in leaf spot disease incidence at till and no-till units within this study period irrespective of sowing date. However, significant differences in leaf spot disease incidence and severity was recorded between the two cropping seasons. Sowing date four recorded the highest disease severity (1.611 ± 0.73) compared to sowing date two and three which was significant but comparable to sowing date one. The lowest disease severity (1.257 ± 0.697) was documented at sowing date two compared to sowing date one and four but comparable to sowing date three. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant positive correlation (+0.560) between leaf spot disease incidence and severity which was statistically significant at α = 0.01 (p In order to enhance production of Telfairia occidentalis leaves with reduced disease incidence and severity, sowing dates two and three (first and second weeks of April respectively) coupled with removal of disease leaves every fortnight could regardless of tillage systems well manage leaf spot disease compared to sowing dates one and four.

Increased emphasis on implementation of conservation practices (terraces, conservation tillage including no-till or reduced tillage, and cover crops [CC]) have led to the integration of best management practices. However, research on integration of best management practices is limited. Therefore, a field trial was established at the University of Missouri Grace Greenley Research Center near Leonard, Missouri, to evaluate the effects of terraces with landscape positions and CCs on soil health parameters, CC biomass accrual, and no-till corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) yields. Additionally, total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), and total phosphorus (TP) export and discharge were evaluated from terraces with or without CCs. Six parallel terraces were installed at 36.5 m spacing with each consisting of an individual underground tile outlet. Soybean was planted in 2016 and 2018, and a CC blend was overseeded at R6. Corn was planted in 2017 and cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) CC was drill-seeded after corn harvest. Soil health parameters had significant (p

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T20:12:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-09-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Sustainability of agriculture with no-tillage (NT) production requires appropriate cover cropping and not a simple and random approach of any cover crop species. However, relatively little is known of the long-term soil surface impacts of different cover crops in rotation with soybean (Glydne max) under NT in the tropics. We evaluated the impacts of different cover crops on soil aggregation, soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions, and soil microbial activity of a Typic Rhodudalf at the end of 12 years under NT in Sao Paulo state of Brazil. Treatments included main plots during the winter dry season (triticale [x Triticosecale] and sunflower [Helianthus annuus]) and subplots during the spring cover crop season (pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum], sunn hemp [Crotolaria juncea], forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor], and fallow with occasional chiseling).All eight of these treatments followed soybean in summer. Winter crop treatments had no effect on soil aggregation, but total organic C and N concentrations were greater (p < 0.05) with triticale than with sunflower. Across depths, soil aggregation and soil C and N fractions were generally enhanced when sunn hemp was cover crop than with fallow in the spring.Triticale followed by sunn hemp provided soil cover and fresh mineralizable residue for improving soil quality in this unfertilized (N) soybean-based cropping system. Our results suggest that maintaining soil cover is important to improve soil aggregation and soil C and N fractions, but also the quality of organic inputs determined by cover crop species is an important factor controlling the dynamics of these soil responses. Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr Sci, Dept Crop Sci, Botucatu, SP, Brazil USDA ARS, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr Sci, Dept Crop Sci, Sao Paulo, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr Sci, Dept Crop Sci, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr Sci, Dept Crop Sci, Sao Paulo, Brazil FAPESP: 15/23389-6 FAPESP: 13/23359-4

A field study was conducted during 2016-17and 2017-18 to evaluate the impact of four tillage systems, viz. zero tillage (ZT) both in rice and wheat, conventional tillage (CT) both in rice and wheat, ZT in rice - CT in wheat and CT in rice -ZT in wheat with four weed management practices (recommended herbicide, recommended herbicide + one hand weeding, weed free and weedy check) in dry seeded rice-wheat cropping system on a lateritic soil of West Bengal. Among weed management practices, application of sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron at 0.032 kg/ha at 20 DAS followed by one hand weeding at 40 DAS in wheat was found to be the most effective. The yield of wheat under ZT-ZT was found to be the highest (3.78 t/ha), which was at par with CT-ZT. Advantages in ZT-ZT were to the extent of 23.6 and 21.8% over CT-CT in first and second year, respectively. Among weed management practices, recommended herbicide followed by one hand weeding registered higher yield (3.78 t/ha) and was comparable with the weed free treatment. The highest B:C ratio was recorded in zero tillage in wheat (ZT-ZT and CT-ZT) in combination with the sole application of recommended herbicide. The continuous ZT, especially in wheat with recommended herbicide alone was promising for higher productivity and profitability under dry-seeded rice-wheat system on lateritic soils of Eastern India.

Average farmers’ uncensored beliefs toward Tillage and manure practices in the Sahel are the notions that informed our decision for this study in northern Yobe State, Nigeria. Its objectives were to determine the effects of tillage depths, manure types, and the nature of their relationships with some performance indices and Grain Yield of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). Designed on a Split Plot; Tillage depth (Zero, Shallow and Deep tillage) was assigned to main plot while Manure type (No Manure, Cow Dung and Poultry Manure) was assigned to subplot. Plots treated with PM showed the highest positive response compared to other manures in terms of cowpea growth parameters and Grain Yield. Zero Tillage performed better than other tillage depths. It was concluded that Interaction between ZT and PM proved to be the best combination to improve Cowpea farmers Yield and Above Ground Biomass for the farmers and their livestock in Sahel Savannah. Pearson’s Multiple Linear Correlation indicated high positive relationship between OM and all the Cowpea parameters measured (r ≥ +0.65 ≤ +0.92). Tillage depth was found to significantly correlate with Pod length (r = -0.36*) and Single Pod Weight (r = -0.40*) at P ≤ 0.05 in a negative passion.

Gypsum is used in agriculture as calcium (Ca2+) and sulfur (S) source, and to mitigate native toxic levels of aluminum (Al3+). However, the effects on soil chemical attributes, corn leaf nutritional status, grain yield, and profitability should be better understood. Gypsum rates (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 Mg ha−1) were applied at once (2009) or split in two (2009–2010) or three (2009–2010-2011) annual applications, to a Typic Hapludox under no-till from Southern Brazil. The use of gypsum increased Ca2+ and S-SO42− and reduced Al3+ levels in the soil up to 0.8 m depth. Increasing gypsum rates reduced Mg2+ levels up to 0.6 m. Corn leaf concentrations of Ca and S were increased, while Mg concentration was decreased by gypsum use. The maximum technical efficiency (MTE) rate of gypsum for corn (2013/2014) grain yield was 6.34 Mg ha−1. The most profitable rate for the period 2009–2014 growing seasons was achieved with 4.60, 5.63, and 6.08 Mg ha−1 of gypsum applied at once or split in two and three annual applications, respectively. The use of gypsum within the MTE interval improves chemical attributes in the soil profile, corn leaf nutritional status, corn grain yield, and land use profitability. The use of gypsum causes soil Mg2+ leaching. Split application reduces leaching process for S-SO42−, but not for Mg2+.

The article provides theoretical substantiation for yield increase through more efficient use of the most fertile topsoil layer in field crop cultural practices in the arid steppe. The paper used findings of the stationary and field experiments conducted on the soils of the southern Orenburg Region as a basis for the study. Giving up plowing practices and use of low-till and no till methods in crop rotation for 12 years resulted in differentiation of the arable horizon into strata with a more fertile upper layer similar to virgin soils. Humus increased by 18 %, nitrate nitrogen rose by 15 % compared to the tilled layer, and the figures increased by 17 % and 45 %, respectively, with a layer of 20–30 cm. The conventional cultural practices do not use this layer as it tends to dry out and no roots are found in it. This disrupts effective use of precipitation (no more than 5– 7 mm) during the growing season. A technology ensuring water infiltration into soil (2–8 cm) is needed for developing a secondary root system in grain crops and side shoots in root crops. This will increase grain yield by 0,7–1,0 t/ha and improve root crop yields significantly.

Agricultural productivity relies on a wide range of ecosystem services provided by the soil biota. Sustainable management practices, such as tillage and residue management, can influence structure and function of the soil microbiota, with direct consequences for the associated ecosystem services. Although there is increasing evidence that different tillage regimes alter the soil biological indices, we only have a limited understanding of their temporal changes in a rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. We evaluated the effects of combinations of tillage, crop residue management and green manuring on soil biological indicators after 5 years of the practising rice–wheat system (RWS). Four main plot treatments in rice included the following: (a) PTRW₀, puddled transplanted rice with no wheat straw retained; (b) PTRW₂₅, puddled transplanted rice with 25% anchored wheat stubbles retained; (c) PTRW₀ + Sesbania aculeate L. green manure (GM); and (d) PTRW₂₅+GM, puddled transplanted rice with 25% anchored wheat stubbles retained+ GM. There were three subplot treatments in the subsequent wheat crop: (a) CTWR₀, conventional tillage wheat with rice residue removed; (b) ZTWR₀, zero tillage wheat with rice residue removed; and (c) ZTWR₁₀₀, ZTW with 100% rice residue retained as mulch. The PTRW₂₅+GM treatment, followed by ZTWR₁₀₀, significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, microbial quotient and mineralization quotient measured during wheat‐growing season. These biological indicators were higher at vigorous vegetative wheat growth stage than at flowering stage and decreased at maturity. The principal component analysis of the assayed variables showed that all the variables significantly contributed to the variability in parameters examined and were more related to maximum tillering stage of wheat growth than to maturity or at sowing of wheat. Three highly effective biological indicators were microbial biomass carbon, microbial quotient and mineralization quotient, which responded significantly to changes in tillage and residue management practices in the RWS. We conclude that crop residues and green manure have significant to improve soil biochemical processes by improving soil organic carbon and soil biological indicators in rice–wheat cropping system.

The present study aims to determine the adaptation and impact of zero tiltage technology for wheat cultivation in Eastern region of Bihar. There is an increasing recognition among policy-makers of the largely untapped potential of the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) for meeting state- and national-level food needs in India. Zero-tillage (ZT) technology has been proven for enhancing wheat productivity and, hence, food security in the IGP while reducing production costs – a 'win-win' which support rapid/fast technology scaling even though adoption remains modest to date. ZT technology is well known in the form of CA, that involves continuous minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover with crop residues or cover crops and diversified, efficient and economically viable crop rotations provide opportunities for saving on inputs, improving resource use efficiency and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and climate change adaptation. Under the Farmers First project, an attempt was made to introduce ZT technology among two adopted villages under Goradih block of Bhagalpur district in Bihar, India. The result has shown that ZT is gaining popularity amongst the farmers in the adopted villages for establishing wheat crop for higher income and sustainability of the farming community. This technology allows rice-wheat farmers for direct drilling of wheat sooner after rice harvest without any preparatory tillage, so that wheat crop heads and fills grain before the onset of pre-monsoon. This involves sowing with a specially-designed zero-till seed-cum-fertilizer drill/planter, which has inverted 'T' type furrow opener to make a narrow slit in the soil for placing seed and fertilizer. Wheat was sown by zero tillage technology that helped in advancing sowing time, reduced cost of cultivation in terms of land preparation (Rs.3850/ha), saving in labours time (6-7 hrs/ha), fuel (44 ltr/ha), environmental pollution (60%) as well as water-saving (33%).

No-till rainfed cropping systems are being considered by farmers to make farming more profitable by reducing production costs, thereby enhancing resource-use efficiency. Field studies were conducted at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi during rainy and winter seasons of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 to examine consumptive use of water (CW), water-use efficiency (WUE), nutrient uptake and balance, and energy-use efficiency (EUE) of nine diverse cropping systems based on three rainy season crops - pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), and green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) followed by three winter crops - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), and mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in each of those three rainy season crop planted fields under no-till semi-arid rainfed conditions. Three residue treatments [i.e., no residue, crop residue, and Ipil-ipil {Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) twigs}] were examined for both rainy season and winter crops. Retention of crop residues significantly increased soil moisture, CW, and WUE in all cropping systems. Good growth of mustard, chickpea, and wheat after cluster bean, and a large amount of cluster bean green pods resulted in substantially higher CW and WUE of cluster bean-based systems compared to pearl millet- and green gram-based systems. Crop nutrient uptake increased substantially under crop residue and Leucaena twigs treatments compared to no-residue control plots due to enhanced crop growth and augmentation of nutrients. However, nutrient uptake and apparent nutrient balances varied greatly among cropping systems. Energy input requirement increased by approximately 10 times under crop residue and Leucaena twigs treatments. As a result, net energy balance and EUE were substantially higher for no-residue treatments. Leucaena twigs treatments had higher net energy balance and EUE than crop residue treatments, indicating the importance of leguminous residues in crop production. Results indicate the necessity of exercising optimal balance between retention of crop residues and energy inputs for the long-term soil health and sustainability of cropping systems.

Organic grain producers are interested in reducing tillage to conserve soil and decrease labor and fuel costs. We examined agronomic and economic tradeoffs associated with alternative strategies for reducing tillage frequency and intensity in a cover crop–soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) sequence within a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean–spelt (Triticum spelta L.) organic cropping system experiment in Pennsylvania. Tillage-based soybean production preceded by a cover crop mixture of annual ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and forage radish (Raphanus sativus L.) interseeded into corn grain (Z. mays L.) was compared with reduced-tillage soybean production preceded by roller-crimped cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) that was sown after corn silage. Total aboveground weed biomass did not differ between soybean production strategies. Each strategy, however, was characterized by high inter-annual variability in weed abundance. Tillage-based soybean production marginally increased grain yield by 0.28 Mg ha−1 compared with reduced-tillage soybean. A path model of soybean yield indicated that soybean stand establishment and weed biomass were primary drivers of yield, but soybean production strategy had a measurable effect on yields due to factors other than within-season weed–crop competition. Cumulative tillage frequency and intensity were quantified for each cover crop—sequence using the Soil Tillage Intensity Rating (STIR) index. The reduced-tillage soybean sequence resulted in 50% less soil disturbance compared to tillage-based soybean sequence across study years. Finally, enterprise budget comparisons showed that the reduced-tillage soybean sequence resulted in lower input costs than the tillage-based soybean sequence but was approximately $114 ha−1 less profitable because of lower average yields.

There is limited soil research on semi-arid, grazed no-till crop and pasture systems. The long-term (10 years) effect of three grazed no-till dryland crop and pasture rotation systems, and perennia...

Several circulation models are forecasting climate changes in the Mediterranean region. Accordingly, it is expected that water scarcity in the region will be higher with drastic shifts of hydrological and erosive watershed responses. In Tunisia, wheat yields have been variable over the years and are lower than the potential yields. In response, the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA), introduced into Tunisia in 1999 to help adaptation to climate change, has resulted in a substantial reduction in agricultural productivity. CA areas increased from 52 ha in 1999 to 14,000 ha in 2015. Using a modelling approach, the present paper evaluates the potential of CA to adapt wheat-based-systems to climate change in Tunisia. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model was used to predict the effect of tillage (conventional tillage [CT] vs. zero-tillage [ZT] and soil residue retention [ZT-RR]) on wheat productivity and soil fertility. Two contrasting locations in Tunisia were studied; one semi-arid (Kef) and one sub-humid (Bizerte). Results showed that the sustainable production of durum wheat under climate change conditions in Tunisia is possible through the adoption of CA practices (ZT and ZT-RR) in both sub-humid and semi-arid areas. In fact, mulching (residue retention) is more effective than CT (under semi-arid and sub-humid conditions) in enhancing wheat yield (15%), water use efficiency (18% and 13%) and soil organic carbon accumulation (0.13 t ha−1 year−1 and 0.18 t ha−1 year−1). It is also more effective for soil resilience – preventing water erosion (1.7 t ha−1 year−1 and 4.6 t ha−1 year−1 of soil loss). The present study allowed identification of 260,000 ha as priority areas for CA adoption; this represent one-third of the total cereal area in Tunisia. Appropriate evaluation of the benefits of CA on sustainable agricultural intensification would provide more arguments for effectively supporting CA adoption in Tunisia.