Except for nutrient injection, the soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting. Ridge-till works best on nearly level, poorly drained soils. The ridges speed up drainage and soil warm-up. Cultivation controls weeds along with some herbicides. Ridge-till systems leave residues on the surface between ridges.
Soil conservation depends on the amount of residue and the row direction.
Planting on the contour and increased surface coverage greatly reduce soil loss. The tillage does not invert the soil but leaves it rough and cloddy. Various chisel points or sweeps attached to the shanks affect the amount of residue cover left on the soil surface. Fall chiseling should be done to a depth of 8-10 inches, and spring chiseling should be no deeper than 6 inches. Disking or other shallow tillage operation can be used in seed bed preparation.