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The Future of No-Till Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

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No-till Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Pre-historic agriculture was based on a basic form of no-till (NT). The invention of a plow, initially pulled by draft animals and later by a tractor, facilitated weed control and incorporation of crop residues; it also exacerbated risks of soil erosion and other degradation processes. Development of herbicides since the 1940s and of a seed drill in the 1960s promoted the use of NT farming, which is practiced on about 180 M ha or on about 12.5% of the global arable land area. The extent of adoption of NT is higher in North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand, but is lower in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The low adoption rate by small landholders of Asia and Africa may be attributed to a lack of access to essential inputs, competing uses of crop residues, and a possible decline in crop yields on soil prone to compaction. Yet a system-based NT technology can facilitate adaptation to, and mitigation of, a changing and uncertain climate by sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in soil as humus. Incorporation of cover crops in the rotation cycle can also enhance soil structure and improve use efficiency of nutrients. Soil-specific adaptation is needed to promote adoption of NT.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Rattan Lal

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  1. Rattan Lal
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Correspondence to Rattan Lal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Yash P. Dang

  2. School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Ram C. Dalal

  3. School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Neal W. Menzies

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Lal, R. (2020). The Future of No-Till Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. In: Dang, Y., Dalal, R., Menzies, N. (eds) No-till Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46409-7_35

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