Soil tillage
Management Activity
Soil tillage is the use of implements to manipulate the soil to prepare seedbeds and rootbeds, control weeds and brush, aerate the soil, and cause faster breakdown of organic matter and minerals to release plant foods (Soil Conservation Society of America, 1982)+.
The direct impacts of soil tillage may include:
- Reduced ground cover
- Soil nutrient loss
- Soil organism loss
- Increased soil compaction
- Soil structure decline
- Increased greenhouse gas emissions from heavy machinery use
+ Soil Conservation Society of America 1982, Resource conservation glossary (3rd edn) Ankeny, Iowa.
Last updated 7 September 2010
