Advances in Tillage Methods to Improve the Yield and Quality of Crops

1. Introduction

Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change, continuous population growth, and increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment, traditional extensive agricultural practices are no longer sustainable [1,2]. Ensuring food security while achieving green, efficient, and sustainable agricultural development has become a central challenge in modern agricultural science [3]. Advances in tillage methods are transforming agriculture by balancing productivity with environmental stewardship [4,5,6]. By optimizing soil–plant interactions, modern tillage systems not only enhance crop yield and quality but also support long-term agricultural sustainability in the face of global change.

This Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Tillage Methods to Improve the Yield and Quality of Crops”, focuses on multi-dimensional innovations in tillage systems. It contains ten original research papers, covering various crops and tillage management strategies. These studies comprehensively address modern agricultural technologies in terms of water–nutrient management, soil enhancement, climate adaptation, carbon sink effects, and systemic integration, offering both theoretical insights and practical strategies for sustainable agriculture.

The ten papers in this Special Issue cover major agro-ecological zones in China—including the Loess Plateau, the semi-arid region of northwestern Liaoning, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the arid regions of Xinjiang, and the tropical regions of South China—as well as unique agro-ecosystems along the west coast of Africa. The study systems encompass staple crops (rice, wheat, maize), cash crops (cotton, tomato, apple), and specialty fruit trees (cherimoya), reflecting the broad scope, regional adaptability, and systemic complexity of tillage research. More importantly, these studies transcend the conventional dichotomy of “tillage versus no-till” and instead examine the coupled regulatory mechanisms among key interacting factors—tillage practices, water availability, nutrient cycling, soil aeration, thermal regimes, and soil biota. Collectively, they reveal emerging trends toward precision agriculture, ecological intensification, and intelligent management in modern tillage systems.

2. From Single-Factor Management to Integrated Multifactor Synergy: Coupled Water–Nutrient–Aeration–Heat Management as a Key Pathway for Yield Enhancement and Quality Improvement

Water, fertilizer, and gas regulation constitute the core resources for crop development, and their integrated management is pivotal in optimizing productivity, resource utilization, and eco-efficiency in agricultural systems [7]. Sun et al. investigated different fertilization levels with irrigation–aeration coupling on tomatoes yield and gas emissions. It revealed the critical role of root-zone oxygen supply in regulating yield and greenhouse gas emissions in tomato production. The results showed that moderate fertilization combined with aerated irrigation not only significantly increased yield but also reduced CH₄ emissions, breaking the conventional paradigm of “high input–high output–high emission”. Furthermore, it was found that warmer conditions in Spring–Summer led to higher yields and greater emissions compared to Autumn–Winter seasons. This study highlights the necessity of seasonal adaptation in cultivation management, recommending A1-F1-I1 (single aeration–low fertilizer–low irrigation) for spring–summer seasons and A2-F1-I1 (double aeration–low fertilizer–low irrigation) for autumn–winter seasons. The findings highlight the critical role of active rhizosphere microenvironment regulation in agricultural management frameworks, identifying soil aeration as a core factor equally vital to water and nutrient dynamics in enhancing crop productivity.

Wang et al. further advanced the concept of multifactor synergy coupling by systematically evaluating the interactions of irrigation, fertilization, and cover practices on Annona squamosa. The W2F2A3 treatment (medium irrigation–medium fertilization–straw mulching) was demonstrated optimal performance in the low-heat river valley of Yunnan Province, achieving a 34.0% increase in average yield and a 28.1% improvement in soluble solids content over two years. Straw mulching significantly reduced soil temperature by 5 °C, effectively mitigating summer heat stress. The research highlights the necessity of establishing an integrated water–fertilizer–temperature management framework for tropical orchard systems, thereby achieving synergistic benefits of moisture conservation, heat stress mitigation, and nutrient enrichment.

Li et al. introduced an innovative “vertical spatial regulation” approach—plastic film-bottomed treatment (FBT). This approach involves placing plastic films at the base of the crop root zone to create a retention zone for water and nutrients, which not only reduces soil compaction but also prevents water loss via surface evaporation, thereby improving crop growth conditions. The study demonstrated that the 80 cm film-bottomed treatment depth was optimal, significantly enhancing nitrogen uptake and translocation efficiency and consequently resulting in the highest grain yield. This technology not only provides a novel pathway for conserving water and fertilizer in arid regions but also reveals an evolving paradigm of farming, extending beyond conventional two-dimensional management to embody integrated three-dimensional regulation.

3. Organic Amendments and Green Manure Return: Restoring Soil Health and Ecosystem Functions

Soil health serves as the cornerstone of agricultural sustainability [8] while the incorporation of green manure and organic materials into soil constitutes a fundamental strategy for enhancing soil structural stability and fertility. Wei et al. evaluated the effects of three green manure incorporation practices on cotton yield, soil fertility, and net eco-economic benefit. The study revealed that although no significant differences were observed in cotton yield among the different green manure treatments, the ryegrass–cotton–hairy vetch–cotton (T3) practice notably enhanced soil alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, organic matter, and total humus content, while achieving the highest net eco-economic benefit. These findings indicate that the value of green manure lies not merely in immediate yield improvement, but more importantly in its long-term benefits for soil fertility enhancement and ecological sustainability.

Zhao et al. systematically elucidated the remediation mechanisms of “organic material incorporation combined with conservation tillage” for degraded soils. By investigating the interactive effects between tillage practices and organic amendments in the Loess Plateau region, the study revealed that integrating no-tillage with bioorganic fertilizer significantly enhanced soil microbial respiration, aggregate stability, and saturated hydraulic conductivity, with particularly pronounced improvements observed in deeper soil layers. These findings clarify the mechanism through which organic management enhances microbial activity to indirectly improve soil structure and hydrological properties, thereby providing a theoretical and technical foundation for the ecological restoration of degraded soils.

Straw return is essential for improving soil fertility, recycling organic matter, and sustainable agriculture [9]. Miressa et al. systematically analyzed 36 technical models for straw return by integrating spatial distribution with temporal variability. The study proposed four representative straw return models (straw even spreading, rotary plowing, conventional tillage with mulching, and straw plowing with burying) for the rice–wheat system, providing a theoretical framework and practical guidance for the efficient utilization of straw resources and soil health management.

4. Adaptive Tillage: A Strategic Approach to Addressing Climate Change and Regional Production Constraints

Against the backdrop of global warming and the increasing frequency of extreme climate events, the impacts of climate change on agricultural water resources and carbon cycles are becoming increasingly prominent [10], rendering adaptive tillage management an urgent imperative. Li et al. simulated the water dynamic changes for two tillage practices over the next 80 years (2021–2100) by integrating the Hydrus-2D model with CMIP6 climate projections. Research demonstrated that the mulched ridge tillage (M-RT) practice significantly reduced soil evaporation, enhanced crop transpiration, and mitigated deep percolation induced by increased precipitation under future climate conditions, thereby strengthening the climate resilience of agricultural systems. This study presents a case study for “model-driven adaptive tillage”.

Wang et al. analyzed the carbon effects of farmland ecosystems in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River at a macro scale. It revealed that while the net carbon sink of farmland in this region remained stable, significant spatial heterogeneity and path dependency were observed. The level and efficiency of agricultural mechanization were identified as key factors influencing the decoupling between carbon sequestration and agricultural output value. This study underscores the central role of technological innovation in agricultural carbon management and provides a critical foundation for formulating regional low-carbon agricultural policies aimed at emissions reduction and carbon sequestration enhancement.

The effectiveness of agricultural technologies is highly dependent on their alignment with local socio-cultural knowledge and ecological conditions. Merkohasanaj et al. innovatively integrated farmers’ local knowledge into the scientific analytical framework, revealing key environmental drivers underlying yield variations across different agro-ecological zones. These findings not only provide precise management guidance for agriculture in Guinea-Bissau, but also establish a sustainable agricultural research paradigm applicable to West Africa’s unique ecological environments. This research underscores the indispensable role of co-design between scientific technology and local knowledge in enhancing agricultural system resilience. Furthermore, it reveals that future farming innovations should embody a process that integrates top-down technology extension with the bottom-up integration of indigenous knowledge.

5. System Integration: Future Perspectives for Tillage Practices

This Special Issue reveals that the evolution of tillage practices has transitioned from singular technological improvements toward system integration, enabling a comprehensive sustainability transformation in agriculture. As the review paper of this Special Issue, Liang et al. systematically elaborated the synergistic effects of integrating four key management strategies: crop rotation, conservation tillage, organic amendment incorporation, and soil microbiome management. The study demonstrated that integrated management systems not only enhanced crop yield and soil organic carbon, but also strengthened system resilience to climate change while delivering significant global ecosystem service benefits. This review provides a theoretical framework and implementation pathway for constructing regenerative agroecosystems.

6. Concluding Remarks: Transitioning to an Integrated, Climate-Resilient, and Smart Agricultural Future

The ten papers featured in this Special Issue collectively outline a multi-dimensional, synergistic, and adaptive vision for sustainable agriculture—spanning from microscopic rhizospheric processes to macroscopic regional systems, and from precisely engineered technical models to the deep integration of farmers’ knowledge. These studies not only demonstrate the significant potential of tillage practices in enhancing crop yield and quality, but also profoundly reveal the multifaceted role of agricultural management in environmental impact, carbon sequestration functions, and ecosystem services.

Future agricultural development will inevitably place greater emphasis on the systematic integration and ecological adaptation of technologies, rely more on the co-innovation of scientific advances and local knowledge, and require more interdisciplinary and multi-scale comprehensive research to deeply elucidate the complex interactions within the tillage–soil–climate–society system. Furthermore, by integrating remote sensing, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, precision farming decision-support systems based on real-time monitoring will be developed to advance intelligent farming [11]. We are confident that, with the deepening of scientific understanding and the refinement of technological systems, farming practices will play an increasingly critical role in driving the green transformation of agriculture and achieving the grand vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.