.:: Lao Knowledge Base on Conservation Agriculture ::.
This American term refers to systems in which at least 30% of the field is covered by crop residue when the crop is sown. In USA, this includes four tillage methods, with the first two being by far the most important:
• No-tillage (direct seeding): without tillage.
• Mulch tillage: whereby tillage is carried out with chisel ploughs and discs (typically American, not available in Europe), with less than 15% of the crop residue buried after a single pass, i.e. most of the residue is left on the surface. The crop is sown under the mulch layer with a special seeder. There is no equivalent in France.
• Ridge tillage: permanent ridges are tilled, followed by direct seeding.
Strip tillage (or strip-till or zone-till): only single, relatively narrow strips are tilled, often with a rotary hoe, to facilitate soil warming in the spring (used especially in the Corn Belt).
