Abstract
Tillage has been developed in farming to improve soil conditions in relation to the water balance and crop growth, to incorporate crop residues, and for weed control and preparation of the seedbed. The effects of tillage depend greatly on the water content and the characteristics of the soil. Clay soils will not be usually found under the more suitable conditions for tilling, which are easier to find on medium or coarse textured soils. The main undesirable effects of tillage are soil compaction, which leads to a reduction in crop yields, and soil degradation, particularly due to water erosion (Chap. 18). Erosion of the surface soil layers reduce the natural fertility and the water retention capacity of soils.
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Gómez, J.A., Orgaz, F., Gómez-Macpherson, H., Villalobos, F.J., Fereres, E. (2016). Tillage. In: Villalobos, F., Fereres, E. (eds) Principles of Agronomy for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46116-8_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46116-8_17
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