Strategic Tillage for Improved Soil Health and Nutrient Dynamics

Abstract

Excessive conventional tillage can degrade important aspects of soil quality and health over time. Strategic tillage offers a focused solution to address priority soil limitations with minimal disturbance. This chapter reviews the current science on how strategic tillage affects key soil physical, chemical, and biological factors relevant to soil function and crop yields. In contrast, strategic tillage involves the targeted, occasional, and shallow use of tillage equipment to address specific observed soil constraints without general field disruption. Potential advantages of strategic tillage discussed include improved soil structure, increased infiltration and rooting depth, better incorporation of amendments, disruption of compaction, enhanced soil biological activity and carbon storage, increased nutrient availability, and improved crop yields. To minimize disturbance and maintain soil function, strategic tillage should be integrated with other conservation practices like cover crops and crop rotation. Criteria for selecting appropriate tillage equipment and practices based on crop, soil, and climate factors are explored. Ongoing site-specific evaluation and refinement of strategic tillage practices using crop yields and soil analysis is emphasized. Despite needing more research, strategic tillage shows promise as a precise soil management approach that maximizes productivity and resilience while balancing periodic focused tillage with principles of soil health.

1. Introduction

Tillage is one of the most fundamental practices in agriculture, used to prepare soil for planting, control weeds, manage crop residues, and incorporate amendments. However, excessive and inappropriate tillage can lead to a range of issues that degrade soil health over time. Conventional intensive tillage using implements like moldboard plows and heavy disk harrows can cause serious soil degradation through compaction, erosion, loss of soil organic matter, disruption of soil structure, and depletion of soil nutrients [1, 2]. This decline in soil health under conventional tillage regimes has raised concerns about the long-term sustainability and productivity of farmland under crop production.

In response, there has been a strong push in recent decades to reduce overall tillage intensity and adopt conservation tillage systems that retain protective crop residue cover. However, it is increasingly recognized that eliminating tillage entirely may not be optimal or practical in all cropping systems and soil conditions. Some degree of strategic tillage may provide benefits by disrupting compacted layers, incorporating amendments, managing heavy residue loads, and creating seedbeds for adequate plant stands [3, 4]. The goal of strategic tillage is to balance the need for tillage with the need to protect soil health in a planned, precision approach.

Strategic tillage can be defined as the targeted, occasional use of tillage implements in specifically defined locations, depths, and times to address priority limiting factors while minimizing disturbance of the soil [4, 5]. Unlike routine conventional tillage over entire fields, strategic tillage is applied only where evidence indicates it is necessary. For example, deep tillage may be used to shatter compacted subsoil layers that limit root growth and water infiltration, while shallow zone tillage could incorporate surface-applied fertilizers or break up crusted soils that are prone to poor seedling emergence. The type, timing, frequency, and intensity of strategic tillage varies based on the cropping system context, soil conditions, climate patterns, and specific production goals. Overall, the mindset shifts from a “more tillage is better” approach to using minimal, strategic tillage only as needed to accomplish the intended soil improvements and agronomic benefits.

Multiple studies have now documented that strategic tillage systems can provide equivalent or greater crop yields compared to conventionally tilled soils, while building soil health and retaining many of the environmental advantages of no-till systems [3, 4, 6]. Importantly, the benefits of strategic tillage may be most pronounced in certain soil types and cropping systems. For example, heavy clay soils that are prone to compaction may benefit from occasional deep loosening to improve internal soil drainage and root penetration [7]. Strategic shallow tillage can also help mitigate some challenges faced in long-term no-till systems, such as nutrient stratification, cool wet seedbeds, and heavy residue loads. However, improper implementation of strategic tillage, such as too frequent or aggressive use, could certainly negate benefits and accelerate soil degradation. Overall, evidence to date suggests strategic tillage may offer a useful integration of conventional and no-till approaches to balance multiple soil and agronomic needs, but site-specific conditions must guide appropriate application.

One major goal and purported benefit of strategic tillage is improving overall soil health, which encompasses the chemical, physical, and biological properties that drive soil function and productivity [8]. Soil health degradation associated with intensive tillage is extensive, including loss of soil organic matter, disruption of soil structure, reduced water infiltration, increased compaction, greater erosion, and decreases in biological diversity and activity in the soil food web [1, 9, 10]. Strategic tillage aims to minimize these detrimental effects while still utilizing tillage where evidence shows that it can rectify specific limitations. For example, occasional deep tillage in compacted subsoil zones may improve soil structure and water movement, increase rooting depth, stimulate microbial activity, and improve soil carbon storage while only impacting a small portion of the soil profile [3, 11]. Integrating strategic tillage with practices like cover crops, rotations, and reduced surface disturbance may support many components of soil health while targeting the most critical soil limitations [12].

Soil nutrient dynamics are a key aspect of soil health that may be impacted by strategic tillage implementations. Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for crop productivity and need to be carefully managed for availability, efficiency, and prevention of losses through erosion, leaching, or gas emissions. Conventional intensive tillage often results in depletion of native soil nutrients and disruption of biological nutrient cycling, necessitating ever-greater inputs of synthetic fertilizers to maintain yields [1]. Strategic tillage may influence multiple aspects of soil nutrient status and behavior relative to no-till systems, including soil organic matter mineralization, soil nutrient stratification, gaseous emissions, and interactions with applied nutrient sources [3, 13]. For example, occasional shallow incorporation of surface residues and amendments may increase nutrient contact with actively cycling soil biology to enhance plant availability and reduce buildup of nutrients like phosphorus at the surface [1]. But, excess disturbance could also accelerate soil organic matter losses and nitrogen mineralization [11].

2. Definition of soil health and its key components

Soil health is a fundamental concept in agriculture and environmental science, representing the overall well-being and quality of a soil ecosystem. It refers to the capacity of soil to perform its functions effectively and sustainably over time. Soil health is a holistic concept that encompasses various physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Its key components include:

1. Soil Structure: Soil structure refers to the arrangement and organization of soil particles into aggregates or clumps. A healthy soil typically has well-developed granular or crumb structure. Good soil structure provides adequate pore spaces for air and water movement, root penetration, and the habitat for soil organisms.

2. Organic Matter: Organic matter in soil consists of decomposed plant and animal materials, such as humus. It plays a crucial role in soil health by improving soil structure, water-holding capacity, and nutrient retention. Organic matter serves as a source of energy and nutrients for soil microbes and enhances soil fertility.

3. Microbial Activity: Soil is teeming with microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes. These microorganisms are essential for soil health as they are involved in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and the suppression of soil-borne diseases. A diverse and active microbial community indicates a healthy soil ecosystem.

3. The relationship between soil structure, organic matter, and microbial activity

The health of these key components of soil is interrelated, creating a dynamic ecosystem within the soil:

• Soil Structure and Organic Matter: Good soil structure is often associated with higher levels of organic matter. Organic matter acts as a binding agent, promoting the formation of stable soil aggregates. These aggregates, in turn, protect organic matter from rapid decomposition, contributing to soil stability and improved structure.

• Microbial Activity and Organic Matter: Microbes thrive on organic matter, breaking it down into simpler compounds. This process, known as decomposition, releases nutrients in forms that plants can absorb. In return, plants provide organic matter to the soil through root exudates, supporting microbial populations.

• Microbial Activity and Soil Structure: Soil microbes contribute to soil aggregation by producing sticky substances that bind soil particles together. They also create tunnels and channels through their movements, improving soil aeration and water infiltration. Active microbial communities help maintain soil structure.

4. Importance of soil health for crop productivity and environmental sustainability

Soil health is pivotal for agricultural sustainability and ecosystem stability:

• Crop Productivity: Healthy soils promote vigorous root growth, efficient nutrient uptake, and optimal water retention. This results in increased crop yields and improved crop quality. Farmers with healthier soils are often more resilient to droughts and other weather extremes.

• Environmental Sustainability: Soil health is closely tied to environmental sustainability. Healthy soils reduce the risk of soil erosion, nutrient runoff, and water pollution. They also sequester carbon, mitigating climate change. Furthermore, diverse and active soil microbial communities play a role in preventing diseases and enhancing pest control in agricultural systems.

5. Impacts of conventional tillage on soil health

Since the origins of agriculture, tillage has been used to prepare seedbeds, control weeds, and incorporate amendments. However, conventional intensive tillage using frequent disturbance through implements like moldboard plowing and heavy disking can seriously impair soil health over time. Tillage breaks up soil structure, disrupts biological communities, and exposes soil organic matter to decomposition, resulting in a cascade of physical, chemical, and biological degradations.

5.1 Physical impacts

One of the most prominent physical impacts of intensive tillage is increased soil compaction and degradation of soil structure [2, 14]. Frequent tractor passes and inversion by moldboard plowing form plow pans and destroys soil aggregation, reducing macroporosity for drainage, aeration, and root growth [7, 15]. With poor structure, tillage also leaves soil much more vulnerable to compaction and wheel traffic effects [16]. Loss of stable aggregation from organic binding agents and disruption of soil biology impair soils’ ability to regain structure [10].

In addition, conventional tillage leaves soil nearly bare between crops, dramatically increasing susceptibility to erosion from wind and rainfall. Intensive tillage pulverizes surface aggregates and residues that protect soil from raindrop impact and overland flow [17]. Erosion removes fertile topsoil and organic matter, reduces infiltration, and causes further structural decline. Tillage also speeds evaporation of soil moisture, requiring more frequent passes for seedbed preparation that perpetuates compaction issues.

Formation of surface crusts is another common physical impact in conventionally tilled soils. Destruction of surface aggregates combined with loss of protection from residues and minimal biological activity near the surface often causes crusting and poor seedling emergence [7]. Hard crusts reduce infiltration and increase runoff and erosion. Emerging seedlings can be cut off or plants may expend crucial energy breaking through crusted layers.

Overall, intensive conventional tillage degrades the fundamental physical properties needed for soil functionality. The resulting problems with compaction, structure loss, erosion risks, and crusting diminish root growth, drainage, and plant establishment which are critical for agricultural productivity and soil sustainability.

5.2 Chemical impacts

Tillage also substantially alters key chemical properties and processes in soil systems. Most notably, conventional intensive tillage generally causes significant declines in soil organic matter and overall carbon stocks [3, 11]. Frequent inversion and disturbance expose previously protected organic matter to microbial decomposition and release CO₂ into the atmosphere [17]. Reduced carbon inputs from less residue return also deplete organic matter over time. Lower organic matter negatively impacts structure, reduces nutrient and water-holding capacities, and decreases soil biology.

Nutrient balances and availability dynamics are also disrupted by conventional tillage regimes. Native soil nutrient reserves become depleted over years of crop removal without adequate replenishment from organic cycling or additions of fertilizers and amendments [1]. Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can be rapidly lost through leaching and gas emissions when bound up in soil organic matter that is decomposed through tillage exposure. Soluble nutrients are also readily lost when tillage causes erosion. More intensive fertilizer inputs are thus needed to maintain crop nutrition in degraded tilled soils. However, fertilizer use efficiency is often impaired by poor soil structure and biological activity as well.

Improper pH levels resulting from conventional tillage may further impact soil chemical processes and crop growth. Acidification is common, stemming largely from greater nitrate leaching when ammonium fertilizers are rapidly converted to nitrate, and reduced liming due to minimal surface residue incorporation [18]. Lower pH substantially influences nutrient availability, solubility of heavy metals and aluminum, and microbial communities (Table 1).

Impact category	Description	Consequences
Physical impacts
Soil compaction	Excessive machinery and tillage equipment weight can compact soil, reducing pore spaces and aeration.	Impedes root growth and water infiltration. Decreases soil oxygen levels, impacting beneficial soil organisms.
Soil erosion	Soil is vulnerable to erosion due to exposed soil surfaces and disrupted soil structure.	Loss of topsoil, which contains valuable nutrients. Sediment runoff into water bodies, harming aquatic ecosystems.
Soil crusting	Aggressive tillage can break down soil aggregates, leading to the formation of a hard crust on the soil surface.	Impedes seedling emergence and root penetration. Reduces water infiltration, increasing surface runoff.
Chemical impacts
Organic matter decline	Frequent and intensive tillage accelerates the decomposition of organic matter in the soil.	Diminished soil organic carbon levels. Reduced soil structure and water-holding capacity.
Nutrient losses	Disturbance of the soil can result in the leaching of essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.	Nutrient imbalances in the soil. Environmental pollution through nutrient runoff.
Biological impacts
Reduction in microbial diversity	Disruption of the soil habitat affects the diversity and abundance of soil microorganisms.	Loss of beneficial soil microbes. Reduced nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition.
Reduction in microbial activity	Soil disturbance can decrease microbial activity, as microorganisms are sensitive to disturbance.	Slower decomposition of organic matter. Limited availability of nutrients for plants.

Table 1.

Comprehensive analysis of the impacts of conventional tillage on soil health.

5.3 Biological impacts

Soil biology represents a foundational component of overall soil health that is significantly altered by frequent conventional tillage [19]. The extensive physical disturbance and changing soil environmental conditions under intensive tillage regimes reduce soil biological diversity, activity, and community resilience [20]. Fungal communities are particularly affected due to their sensitivity to disturbance, while bacteria increase in dominance [21].

Biomass, abundance, and diversity of soil fauna including protozoa, nematodes, earthworms, and arthropods generally decline with tillage intensity, which removes surface residues and kills organisms directly through mechanical disruption [22, 23]. Declines in mycorrhizal associations further impact plant and root ecology. Reduced soil macrofauna and fungal activity negatively affect soil structure development and stabilization. Lower organic matter under tillage also cuts off the energy source driving soil food web integrity and function.

Overall biological activity including nutrient mineralization and immobilization, carbon transformations, and pest suppression suffers under intensive tillage regimes [24]. For example, earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi play key roles in soil carbon storage; their reduction with tillage decreases soil carbon sequestration [10, 25]. Impaired biology diminishes critical services like nutrient cycling, water regulation, and disease suppression.

In essence, conventional tillage degrades soil biological function at many levels, from microbial communities and soil fauna diversity to critical services that support agricultural productivity and ecological health. Regenerating soil biology requires a systemic approach including reduced tillage, increased plant diversity, and enhanced organic matter inputs.

6. Principles and benefits of strategic tillage

Strategic tillage represents a paradigm shift from routine, intensive conventional tillage to a targeted, minimalist approach focused on addressing priority limitations. The core principles and purported benefits of strategic tillage include:

6.1 Goals

The goals of strategic tillage align with improving overall soil function to support crop productivity. Key aims are enhancing soil structure, increasing water infiltration and rooting depth, managing heavy residue loads, incorporating amendments, and disrupting compaction or plow pans [2, 3]. Unique from blanket conventional tillage, the intent is pinpointed remediation of soil conditions limiting productivity in a particular field.

6.2 Timing

Strategic tillage involves careful timing of tillage based on in-field conditions, crop needs, and climate factors. For example, deep tillage may be most effective when soils are dry enough for shattering compaction but moist enough for aggregation reformation [26]. Strategic tillage is also matched to crop growth stages, like disrupting soil crusts prior to planting or clearing heavy residues after harvest. Overall, timing focuses on achieving the intended soil improvements when conditions allow for effective, minimally disruptive tillage.

6.3 Types

A range of tillage types and implements can strategically address different soil limitations. Zone tillage like strip tillage or vertical tillage disturbs narrow slots for planting rather than full inversion [27]. This helps increase biological activity, residue incorporation, and rooting depth in the planting zone while minimizing surface disturbance. Subsoiling, ripping, or other deep tillage tools fracture and mix dense, restrictive subsurface layers 12–18 inches down while leaving surface soil intact [28]. Light incorporation implements like disks, sweeps, and shallow cultivators mix amendments and clear residues from the seed zone while retaining protective surface cover between rows [17].

6.4 Benefits

When applied judiciously, targeted strategic tillage can impart multiple benefits to soil health and crop productivity compared to intensive conventional tillage. These include:

• Increased Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Sequestration: Reduced disturbance increases organic matter inputs while occasional mixing can stimulate microbial activity and aggregation to protect carbon [3, 4].

• Improved Soil Biology: Strategic tillage in rotations or during cover crop windows causes less frequent disruption, increasing soil fauna and microbial diversity more than annual tillage [24].

• Reduced Erosion: Retaining surface cover and only disturbing portions of the soil protects against erosion while creating conditions for better infiltration and soil structure to resist erosive forces [17].

• Better Nutrient Cycling: Strategic mixing and root zone incorporation can place nutrients in biologically active zones without excessive mineralization of organic matter [1].

• Increased Productivity: Timely loosening of root-limiting compacted layers, residue clearing, and zone building increases root growth, drainage, and plant establishment (Table 2) [26].

Benefit of strategic tillage	Description	Consequences
Improved soil structure	Strategic tillage practices minimize soil disturbance, preserving soil aggregates and organic matter.	Enhanced water infiltration and root penetration. Increased soil aeration and porosity.
Enhanced water infiltration	Reduced soil compaction and surface disturbance lead to improved water infiltration rates.	Better water retention, reducing the risk of drought stress. Minimized surface runoff and erosion.
Reduced erosion and runoff	Strategic tillage helps maintain soil cover and structure, reducing erosion and sediment runoff.	Preservation of topsoil and valuable nutrients. Minimization of sediment pollution in water bodies.
Increased soil organic matter	Minimal soil disturbance allows organic matter to accumulate, enriching the soil with nutrients and carbon.	Enhanced soil fertility and nutrient availability. Improved microbial activity and nutrient cycling.
Enhanced microbial diversity	Reduced disruption of soil habitats promotes a diverse microbial community.	Improved nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Enhanced plant-microbe interactions for nutrient uptake.
Weed suppression	Strategic tillage can disrupt weed growth cycles, reducing weed competition with crops.	Decreased weed pressure and the need for herbicides. Improved crop yield and quality.
Energy and cost savings	Less intensive tillage reduces fuel and machinery costs.	Increased economic viability for farmers. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental sustainability	Strategic tillage practices align with sustainable agriculture principles, minimizing negative environmental impacts.	Preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Reduced agricultural contributions to climate change and pollution.

Table 2.

Comprehensive benefits of strategic tillage practices in agriculture.

7. Strategic tillage effects on soil nutrients

In addition to overall soil physical and biological properties, strategic tillage can influence key chemical processes in soils related to plant nutrition. These include impacts on nutrient stratification, availability, fertilizer efficiency, and nutrient cycling.

8. Impacts on nutrient stratification and availability

One common effect of long-term no-till systems is increased stratification of nutrients like phosphorus and potassium at the soil surface, since inputs are not mixed through tillage [1]. While this can facilitate early crop access, it can also lead to localized depletion over time. Occasional strategic tillage may modify these stratified layers and move surface nutrients into the active rooting zone, increasing availability during later growth stages [29]. For example, Abdollahi and Munkholm [3] found that periodic deep loosening of no-tilled soils redistributed potassium down the profile. Similarly, Reicosky and Archer [30] showed that tillage incorporation of composted swine manure reduced surface phosphorus accumulation compared to no-till.

However, excessive disturbance through aggressive strategic tillage could quickly deplete surface nutrient reserves. More moderate vertical tillage may provide a balance, with Schomberg et al. [31] finding that strip tillage increased phosphorus deeper in the root zone compared to no-till, likely improving access during grain filling. In general, occasional strategic tillage shows potential to modify stratified nutrient layers favorably but should be constrained to prevent over-mixing.

Stratified nutrient layers can also influence overall mineralization and nutrient availability for crop uptake. For instance, Franzluebbers [32] found that tillage incorporation of cover crop residues, which contained high N and P concentrations, nearly doubled plant availability of these nutrients compared to surface-retained residues. This illustrates how strategic tillage augmenting buried organic matter decomposition could supplement crop nutrition when coordinated with key growth stages.

9. Interactions with fertilizers and residues

Strategic tillage approaches generally increase fertilizer use efficiency compared to no-till, through better incorporation with soil [1]. For example, Reider et al. [33] found that deep banding of phosphorus fertilizer under strip tillage increased nutrient uptake and yields compared to broadcast fertilizer under no-till, likely due to placement in moist subsurface zones with higher biological activity. However, excessive disturbance could expose nutrients to leaching or gaseous losses before crop utilization.

Occasional tillage can also encourage decomposition of surface residues and release of nutrients like nitrogen for crop use. Wright et al. [34] showed that strip tillage increased nitrogen mineralization from previous cover crop residues compared to no-till, synchronized with peak corn demand. Strategic tillage must balance mineralization and nutrient uncovering with preventing excess loss through disturbance.

10. Maximizing nutrient cycling

By fostering a more active and diverse soil biological community while limiting soil degradation, strategic tillage can enhance internal nutrient cycling [24]. Periodic tillage aerates soils, mixes crop residues, and incorporates amendments to stimulate microbial activity and soil fauna critical to decomposition and nutrient release [3]. For example, Plaza et al. [35] found that occasional chisel plowing increased soil nematode populations and nitrogen mineralization compared to untilled soils under conservation agriculture.

Strategic tillage also encourages development of soil structure and permeability to water flows that facilitate cycling and prevent nutrient losses [26]. Combined with practices like cover cropping, manuring, and reduced chemical inputs, strategic tillage could make soils more self-sufficient through enhanced biological nutrient transformations [1]. However, over-intensive disturbance risks accelerating organic matter and nutrient depletion.

10.1 Implementing strategic tillage in farming systems

While the concepts behind strategic tillage are straightforward, real-world implementation requires integrating it effectively within diverse crop rotations, soil types, and climates. Key considerations include combining strategic tillage with other conservation practices, selecting suitable equipment, and evaluating impacts through soil and crop monitoring.

10.2 Integration with other conservation practices

Rather than a stand-alone approach, strategic tillage should be viewed as one potential tool within a diversified soil health management system [17]. Combining occasional strategic tillage with practices like cover cropping, diverse rotations, and reduced surface disturbance is key to realizing benefits without compromising long-term productivity and resilience [3].

For example, including deep-rooted cover crop mixes can help fracture compaction and improve infiltration between cash crops. This could reduce the intensity and frequency of subsoiling or deep ripping required for the same purposes [7]. Leaving corn or bean residues intact with zone or strip tillage maintains surface cover for erosion control. Rotational diversification disrupts pest and disease cycles improved by occasional full-width tillage. Overall, the goal is to address all aspects of soil function and health using strategic tillage only where other practices are unable to resolve priority limitations.

10.3 Appropriate equipment and techniques

Selecting suitable tillage implements is crucial for focused soil disruption and residue management rather than broad inversion or disturbance [17]. Equipment like strip tillage tools, shallow disk cultivators, specialty plows, and deep rippers allow targeted intervention. Matching implement capabilities like tillage depth, width, and inversion intensity to specific limitations enables sufficient yet minimal soil disturbance.

Proper setup and operation of equipment is also key, for example, using guidance systems for precise subsurface tillage at optimal speeds and depths. Successfully avoiding compaction from excess equipment passes requires caution. Integrating equipment use into controlled traffic patterns can help restrict soil compaction effects [26]. Overall, the mindset must focus on disturbing only the minimal soil volume needed to address verified limitations.

10.4 Evaluation and monitoring

Ongoing assessment through soil testing and crop yield monitoring provides critical feedback for improving strategic tillage implementation over time. Baseline soil samples prior to adopting strategic tillage establish reference conditions for physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil function [3]. Periodic retesting then helps gauge impacts on organic matter, compaction, fertility, biology, etc. Post-harvest crop yields correlated to strategic tillage actions provide additional real-world measures of agronomic value from addressing soil constraints.

For example, Raper et al. [28] combined deep tillage and in-row subsoiling based on soil resistance profiling and crop yields showing compaction-limited root growth and water infiltration. Zone sampling over years tracked soil carbon changes showing no significant difference between strategic tillage and continuous no-till [4]. This empirical evidence helps refine decisions on which limitations to address, proper tillage types, depths, timing, and frequency for local conditions. In summary, strategic tillage is not a universal prescription but rather one possible tool integrated through systematic soil health management. Combining it with practices enriching soil biology, structure, and nutrient cycling maximizes the potential for strategic tillage to address priority limitations without degrading soils through excessive disturbance. Matching equipment capabilities and operation to pinpointed soil needs minimizes disturbance. Ongoing monitoring via soil testing and crop yield response provides real-world evidence to refine site-specific implementation over time. When integrated using a goal-oriented systems approach, strategic tillage offers opportunities to balance soil function improvements with practical farming needs.

11. Conclusions and future research directions

The concept of strategic tillage represents a promising bridge between intensive conventional tillage and continuous no-till systems, aiming to provide targeted soil improvements while protecting long-term productivity and resilience. However, realizing the potential benefits requires further research and adaptive management.

11.1 Summary of potential benefits

When judiciously implemented, a growing body of evidence suggests that strategic tillage can provide multiple agronomic and environmental advantages compared to both intensive tillage and exclusively no-till systems. Documented benefits include reduced compaction, increased infiltration and rooting depth, incorporation of amendments, enhanced soil biological activity, increased carbon sequestration, improved nutrient availability and cycling, increased fertilizer efficiency, and higher crop yields where soil constraints are alleviated [1, 3, 4]. By remediating key limitations at critical times using minimal soil disturbance, strategic tillage offers opportunities to improve soil function and productivity without the extensive degradation associated with routine conventional tillage.

11.2 Need for continued research

However, there remain many open questions regarding long-term impacts, proper implementation, and applicability across diverse soil types, climates, and cropping systems. Most studies on strategic tillage have evaluated relatively short-term effects over several years. More extended field research is needed to determine if periodic strategic tillage can sustain long-term soil carbon levels, biological activity, and stable aggregation compared to continuous no-till [29]. Quantifying and isolating the effects of strategic tillage frequency, depth, timing, and equipment settings requires further work. There is also a need to identify relevant indicators for when strategic tillage is warranted to address soil constraints versus conditions where no-till management alone is sufficient.

11.3 Outlook for wider adoption

Incorporating strategic tillage on a wider scale requires an adaptive management approach built on the foundation of soil health principles and site-specific conditions [17]. This entails comprehensive evaluation of soils, crops, and climate interactions to determine where strategic tillage aligned with other practices like cover cropping and crop rotation diversification can alleviate priority limitations. Given the complexities of soil systems, growers may be reluctant to depart from either intensive tillage or strict no-till doctrine without strong evidence for strategic tillage benefits in their contexts. Continued on-farm research and demonstration will be critical for wider adoption, along with technical guidance on monitoring soil function and indicators to profitably integrate strategic tillage. With increased knowledge and adaptive expertise, strategic tillage adoption could expand to sustainably enhance agricultural productivity and soil resilience.