Conservation Tillage Tillage practices that leave significant amounts of residue on the soil surface during the entire year are currently receiving wide attention as erosion control practices. Such practices control erosion and save time, fuel, labor, and money. Many systems are available, and the system should be fitted to the situation. No one best tillage system works for all soils, and conservation tillage may need to be combined with other practices to achieve the desired level of erosion control. Because all properly executed conservation tillage systems leave significant quantities of crop residue on the soil surface, evaporation is reduced and fields are moister than if had they had been plowed.
Adequate drainage is essential in conservation tillage systems if yields are to be maintained.
Surface and subsurface drainage should be adequate to remove excess water quickly. If adequate drainage cannot be achieved, use of elevated seedbeds, such as ridges or wide beds, may be beneficial. Effective erosion control is often achieved on flatter slopes by using a chisel plow, disk, or field cultivator instead of the moldboard plow. One pass using these tools usually performs adequate tillage while leaving large quantities of residue on the surface. Specially designed planters are capable of planting precisely in the resulting seedbed, and such systems are suitable for many Ohio farms.