Exploring Soil Hydro-Physical Improvements Under No-Tillage: A Sustainable Approach for Soil Health.
Mihu, G-D., Aostăcioaei, T.G., Ghelbere, C., Calistru, A-E., Topa, D.C. & Jităreanu, G. 2025. Agriculture (Switzerland). 15 (9) Article 981. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15090981
This paper looks at the impact of no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) on soil water and physical properties in Romania using undisturbed soil columns from a field experiment that was a continuous cropping system for 8 years with a 4-year rotation (wheat, maize, sunflower and peas). Various soil physical and water measures were taken. The various measurements can be found in the paper abstract. They conclude that the "findings demonstrate that long-term NT improves key soil hydro-physical properties, supporting its integration into sustainable farming systems to balance productivity and environmental stewardship."
Conservation agriculture: A pathway to achieving sustainable development goals.
Rathika, S., Ramesh, T., Mahajan, A., Udhaya, A., Kavitha, M.P., Subbulakshmi, S., Selvarani, A., Bhuvaneswari, J., Rajakumar, D., Natarajan, S.K., Jagadeesan, R., Sakthivel, K. & Siddique, A. 2025. Plant Science Today. 12, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6268
This paper describes conservation agriculture (CA) as a way of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors suggest that "CA can prove to be a viable option for meeting the targets of the sustainable agenda. This practice supports environmental, social and economic justice, which creates a holistic developmental route that supports the burgeoning population." CA also reduces production costs that favors farmer adoption. However the paper concludes that "while CA demonstrates significant benefits across scales, its adoption remains constrained by socioeconomic factors and limited mechanization in the smallholder context. Advancing CA requires a multidisciplinary, participatory research paradigm coupled with policy support, institutional support and capacity building for farmers.
Resource Conservation Technologies for Mitigating Climate Change Impacts in Agriculture: A Review.
Kartik, M.N., Parasuraman, P., Thavaprakaash, N., Poornimmal, R. & Vincent, S. 2025. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 56 (13) 2088-2104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2025.2489107
This paper uses the term Resource Conserving Technologies (RCT's) as practices that help reverse the negative affects of climate change on food and water productivity. RCT's they include are CA, cover crops, mulching, drip irrigation, soil moisture sensors-based smart irrigation, rainwater harvesting, site-specific nutrient management, leaf color chart, fertigation, and precision agriculture that can result in long-term sustainability by enhancing food production and sequestering soil carbon in conventional field farming. They can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), result in higher yield and water savings. Some RCT's require high-cost machinery and it is suggested they should be tested in diverse production systems for sustainability and large-scale adoption.
Ch. 18 Soil Conservation.
Gomez-MacPherson, H. Gomez, J.A., Orgaz, F., Fereres, E. & Villalobos, F.J. 2024. In. Villabos, F.J. & Fereres, E. (Eds). Principles of Agronomy for Sustainable Agriculture. Pages 249-261. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69150-8_18
This is another chapter in another 2024 book that has chapters on Principles of Agronomy for Sustainable Agriculture. Chapter 18 looks at soil conservation and negative issues of tillage and goes on to describe the role CA can play in reversing the issue of soil degradation when using tillage. They understand that adoption of CA will take time as farmers transition from conventional tillage. Literature has many examples of what is needed to accelerate adoption of this new management system. CA needs to address weed issues in the early years of adoption and suitable machinery availability for seeding. Use of cover crops in less intensive cropping systems in temperate climates are growing in acreage and supply the needed residue cover for CA.
Ch. 16 Climate Resilient Agriculture: The Perspective of Conservation Agricultural Practice.
Devi, Y.S. & Devi, M.P. 2024. In. Mohanty, S.R. & Kollah, B. (Eds). Greenhouse Gas Regulating Microorganisms in Soil Ecosystems: Perspectives for Climate Smart Agriculture. Pages 273-284. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70569-4_16
This book chapter 16 from a 2024 published book on Greenhouse Gases in Climate Smart Agriculture covers the perspective on CA and GHG. It talks about how to feed a growing population when climate change is a major issue. Issues include burning of previous crop residues and loss of soil health and nutrients. This chapter discusses how CA can help with future food security. It concludes that "several studies have shown that CA practices reduce farm-related GHG emissions, improve soil health and structure, increase carbon sequestration, reduce soil erosion, and modify the microclimate."
