Definitions for "Conservation tillage"
Keywords:  tillage, mulch, erosion, residue, plow
According to the nonprofit Conservation Technology Information Center , this refers to any tillage and planting system that leaves at least 30 percent of the soil surface covered by “crop residue.” Conservation tillage results in less soil disturbance than traditional cultivation, reducing soil loss and energy use while maintaining crop yields and quality. Once considered a form of alternative agriculture, conservation tillage is now mainstream: Nearly 37 percent of the nation’s crop acres were managed under conservation tillage systems (minimum tillage, mulch tillage, ridge tillage, and no-till) in 2002. An additional 23 percent of crop acres use what is known as “reduced tillage,” which leaves 15 to 30 percent of the ground covered by crop residue.
A tillage system that does not invert the soil and that leaves a protective amount of crop residue on the surface throughout the year.
Any tillage and planting system that leaves at least 30% of the soil surface covered by residue after planting. Conservation tillage maintains a ground cover with less soil disturbance than traditional cultivation, thereby reducing soil loss and energy use while maintaining crop yields and quality. Conservation tillage techniques include minimum tillage, mulch tillage, ridge tillage, and no-till.