And it paid off. The protective cover of crop residue brought erosion rates down. However, crop residue also provided a habitat for certain insects. You can readily adapt other pest-management techniques to conservation tillage. With that qualifier in mind, it's important to know how tillage might affect different insects.
Grasses are attractive to egg-laying armyworm moths and stalk borer moths.
Adult flies of the seedcorn maggot like to lay eggs where crop residue has been partially incorporated into the soil. More grassy weeds and less soil disturbance favor survival of white grubs and wireworms. Unincorporated residues and cooler, wetter conditions favor increases in slug populations and damage. Where crop residues slow moisture loss, plants may be less drought-stressed than in conventional tillage. Reducing drought stress reduces mite outbreaks.