minimumtillage

Minimum tillage, or reduced tillage, is a farming practice that disturbs the soil far less than conventional tillage. It aims to create a seedbed with shallow disturbance while retaining crop residues on the surface to protect soil, preserve structure, and maintain organic matter. Implements include chisel plows, ripper or subsoilers, shallow-disc harrows, and planters designed for residues. Disturbance depths are typically less than 15 to 25 centimeters, depending on soil, crop, and equipment.

The practice emerged to reduce soil erosion, fuel use, and labor. It is used in many cereal and row-crop systems in temperate and subtropical regions and is often integrated with cover crops and rotations.

Benefits include reduced erosion, better moisture conservation, lower energy use, and slower degradation of soil structure. It can also lower dust and support long-term soil health.

Drawbacks include greater dependence on herbicides for weed control, possible residue-related emergence issues, risk of pest or disease carryover, and potential soil compaction from field traffic. Yields are site-specific; some systems see equivalent yields to conventional tillage, others may not during transition.

Management considerations: rotate crops, use cover crops, manage residues to balance protection and emergence, minimize field traffic, and monitor soil moisture and compaction. Minimum tillage sits between conventional tillage and no-till in terms of soil disturbance and management requirements.