Enhancing Agriculture through Strategic Tillage and Soil Management: Unleashing Potential for Sustainable Farming

Abstract

Modern agriculture relies on strategic tillage and soil management to improve soil health, crop yield, and environmental impact. Innovative tillage methods reduce soil disturbance and use alternative soil management methods. Poor tillage reduces soil health and productivity. Some of them include soil erosion, runoff losses, compaction, organic matter deuteration, and nutrient losses. For long-term environmental sustainability, it is important to recognize the risks of improper tillage and implement sustainable soil management methods that reduce soil disturbances, conserve organic matter, improve soil structure, and promote soil stability. In the modern day, mechanization and industrialisation have greatly impacted soil health and ecological balance. This chapter provides a brief review of strategic tillage and soil management concepts, benefits, and challenges. It highlights the shift from traditional tillage to balanced soil management strategies. Strategic tillage improves soil health, conserves resources, decreases erosion, and ensures agricultural resilience and sustainability by limiting soil disturbance, retaining organic matter, and improving fertilizer management. The chapter also highlights aspects cover crops, precision agriculture, and organic farming for soil quality and resource efficiency. This chapter begins to explore the importance and implications of strategic tillage and soil management in modern agriculture.