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The plow represents labor and tillage of the soil.
Conventional tillage involves intensive soil disturbance through plowing, while conservation tillage aims to minimize soil disturbance and maintain soil structure. Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till or reduced tillage, help to reduce erosion, conserve soil moisture, and improve soil health compared to conventional tillage methods.
Minimum tillage which is a soil tillage to approximately depth of 10 cm by means of cultivars and reduced tillage which is also includes deeper cultivation but not to the plough depth (Davies, et al., 2006).
tillage is which you use a tool to make the soil good
The objective of primary tillage is to attain a reasonable depth of soft soil, incorporate crop residues, kill weeds, and to aerate the soil. Secondary tillage is any subsequent tillage, to incorporate fertilizers, reduce the soil to a finer tilth, level the surface, or control weeds.
primary tillage refers to tillage after harvesting or on virgin piece of land where soil is inverted and plant residues and sometimes manure/ fertilizer is added. On the other hand, secondary tillage is done after primary tillage and it involves breaking the soil particles into smaller pieces and sometimes includes formation of rows for planting.
Conservation tillage is the method of soil conservation that relies on minimizing the use of plowing. It involves leaving crop residues on the soil surface to reduce erosion, improve soil health, and enhance water retention. By reducing the intensity of tillage, conservation tillage helps to maintain soil structure and organic matter content in the soil.
Primary tillage is the initial soil cultivation done to break up the soil and prepare it for planting. It is usually deeper and more aggressive, aimed at loosening compacted soil and incorporating organic matter. Secondary tillage, on the other hand, comes after primary tillage and focuses on refining the seedbed by breaking up clods, leveling the soil, and creating a finer, more even seedbed.
Minimum tillage involves reducing the amount of soil disturbance during land preparation, allowing for some tilling while still promoting soil health and moisture retention. In contrast, zero tillage, or no-till farming, eliminates soil disturbance entirely by planting crops directly into undisturbed soil, which helps preserve soil structure and enhances biodiversity. Both practices aim to improve soil conservation, but zero tillage takes a more extreme approach to maintain soil integrity.
A Cropping System is a general term that describes how a producer might grow a crop. A basic distinction is between conventional tillage & conservation tillage. Conservation tillage systems are methods of soil tillage which leave a minimum of 30% of crop residue on the soils surface with small grain residue during the critical soil erosion period. This slows water movement, which reduces the amount of soil erosion & benefits farmers through significant savings in fuel & labor. Conventional tillage refers to tillage operations considered standard for a specific location of crop & tend to bury the crop residues; usually considered as a base for determining the cost effectiveness of erosion control practices.
Excessive tillage of upland soil can lead to loss of soil organic matter, compaction, erosion, and decreased soil fertility. It can also disrupt the soil structure and decrease water infiltration capacity, leading to increased runoff and potential water pollution. Reducing tillage intensity can help preserve soil health and productivity.
With conventional tillage (complete turning over of the soil), the bare soil is exposed to the erosive action of water, which, in many areas is the major route of soil loss. Under conservation tillage, the crop residue buffers the raindrops' energy, so water has less erosive force when it reaches the soil. This protection by residue, along with the rougher surface provided by the residue facilitates infiltration and decreases runoff -- runoff that carries soil and nutrients with it. In addition, macropores, which are the major route for water movement through soil, get disrupted in the surface 15-20 cm of soil by conventional tillage, but remain intact under conservation tillage. Improved macropore development also enhances water infiltration and decreases water runoff. Conservation tillage thus can also conserve water and fertilizers. http://people.oregonstate.edu/~muirp/constill.htm