Conservation Agricultural Practices for Improving Crop Production and Quality—2nd Edition

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 257

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Department of Crop Production and Yield Quality, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation-State Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
Interests: crop production; yield quality; abiotic stress; plant physiology; weed control; biodiversity; organic farming; legumes
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Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Technology and Life Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Zelwerowicza 4 St., 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: legumes; sustainable agriculture; abiotic stress; plant physiology; plant fertilization; plant product quality
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Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, J. J. Śniadeckich in Bydgoszcz, Kaliskiego 7, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Interests: cultivation technology; cereal crop rotation; cultivation management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past six decades, the intensification of agricultural practices has primarily focused on (i) increasing crop yields and economic returns for farmers and (ii) improving food supply/security for an increasing global population. Intensification practices introduced during this period included efficient tillage and soil cultivation technologies, shorter rotations/monoculture systems, higher mineral fertilizer and pesticide inputs and the introduction of crop varieties with higher yield potential. However, in many crop production systems, these practices also lead to soil erosion, a reduction in soil quality, erosion and reduced biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. For example, intensive tillage, combined with high mineral fertilization, increases the mineralization of organic carbon in the soil, thereby contributing to an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Conservation agriculture (CA) may be the answer to these threats. CA is a crop and soil management practice for sustainable agriculture, defined by three related principles: minimum tillage and soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover, and diversified crop rotations. Adherence to these principles improves soil quality, optimizes yields, and reduces production costs. Conservation practices can minimize soil erosion, directly increase CO2 sequestration and organic matter levels in the soil, improve the efficiency of water retention in soil and water use efficiency by crops, stimulate C and N cycling, and thereby mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. CA's success is driven by component technologies such as water, weed, and nutrient management strategies to support crops under reduced tillage conditions.

Our aim is to present conservation agricultural practices and management systems that that deliver high crop yields and quality while maintaining/enhancing soil quality/fertility, reducing carbon footprints and enhancing biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.

Both original research and review articles are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mariola Staniak
Prof. Dr. Ewa Szpunar-Krok
Dr. Edward Wilczewski
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • conservation agriculture
  • farming systems
  • reduced tillage
  • crop rotation
  • intercropping
  • cover crops
  • crop residue management
  • water management
  • soil organic matter management
  • weed management
  • yield and crop quality

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2308 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Chiseling Versus Root Bio-Tillage on Soil Physical Quality and Soybean Yield in a Long-Term No-Till System
by Gustavo Ferreira da Silva, Bruno Cesar Ottoboni Luperini, Jéssica Pigatto de Queiroz Barcelos, Fernando Ferrari Putti, Sacha J. Mooney and Juliano Carlos Calonego
Agronomy 2025, 15(5), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15051249 - 21 May 2025
Abstract
Occasional mechanical intervention can help alleviate compaction symptoms in no-till systems, but its effects compared to well-established crop rotation systems are uncertain. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mechanical and biological chiseling of the soil (via millet [...] Read more.
Occasional mechanical intervention can help alleviate compaction symptoms in no-till systems, but its effects compared to well-established crop rotation systems are uncertain. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mechanical and biological chiseling of the soil (via millet and sunn hemp cover crops) on soil physical properties, root development, and soybean yield in a long-term experiment. The treatments consisted of crops rotations used in the spring harvest: (I) triticale (autumn–winter), millet (spring), and soybean (summer); (II) triticale (autumn–winter), sunn hemp (spring), and soybean (summer); and (III) triticale (autumn–winter), fallow/soil chiseling (spring), and soybean (summer). Mechanical chiseling reduced bulk density and penetration resistance in the upper 0.10 m layer by 6% and 37%, respectively. However, its effects did not extend below this depth. Conversely, millet and sunn hemp maintained higher penetration resistance in surface layers but reduced resistance in deeper layers (0.20–0.40 m) by up to 27% compared to chiseling. These cover crops also improved root growth (up to 71% higher root dry mass), soil microporosity, and total porosity. Notably, sunn hemp enhanced water infiltration (151 mm accumulated) and basic infiltration rate (180 cm h−1), outperforming chiseling by 30% and 85%, respectively. Soybean yield was highest under sunn hemp, with an 18% increase over chiseling. Thus, growing millet and sunn hemp in a long-term production system can improve the soil’s physical properties, ensuring better infiltration, storage, and availability of water in the soil for plants. Full article
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