Zero tillage, also known as no-tillage, involves direct seeding of crops into untilled soil with minimal soil disturbance. It provides benefits such as conserving soil moisture, reducing erosion, and allowing timely sowing of crops. However, it also poses some challenges like increased soil compaction and potentially lower yields for some crops compared to conventional tillage. Overall, zero tillage is seen as an important conservation agriculture practice for improving the sustainability of cropping systems.

1. Modern Concepts of Zero Tillage

2. Contents

3. What is Zero Tillage
• Placement of seed in to soil without soil
preparation
• It is an extreme form of minimum
tillage. Primary tillage is completely avoided
& secondary tillage is restricted to seedbed
preparation in the row zone only
• it is the direct sowing of seed in the field
without any disturbance to the soil e.g.
sowing of wheat in standing cotton.

4. Some confusing terms
• Reduced tillage: Tillage operation is reduced to actual
number of tillage required for that crop.
• Minimum tillage: Minimum tillage is aimed at
reducing tillage to the minimum necessary for
ensuring a good seedbed, rapid germination, a
satisfactory stand and favorable growing conditions.
• Double zero tillage: If both consecutive crops are
sown by using zero tillage practices ,then this practice
is called double zero tillage. e. g. if wheat and cotton
are sown by ZT

5. Importance of zero tillage
• Water shortage is a major constraint to sustaining
and increasing the productivity of both cotton &rice-
wheat cropping systems.
• In recent years , drought has become a limiting factor
in crop production , and farmers have come to realize
the full effects of soil erosion. It has been shown
through research and farmer experience that
excessive tillage removes surface residues which
protect the soil. Also, in the dry years during the 80’s,
the importance of saving soil moisture was
emphasized.

6. • As late sowing of wheat is a major problem of
both rice and cotton cropping system and is a
major constraint in getting high yield. By
adopting zero or minimum tillage, we can sow
wheat crop at proper time and not to waste
time in seed bed preparation.

7. In Pakistan this system consumes around 1.7
million hectares. Punjab covers 70 per cent of the
total rice area of the country. Around 80 per cent
of it is covered by fine Basmati varieties which
mature in November.
Farmers remain busy in harvesting, thrashing and
handling of rice straw until early December. This
along with land preparation delays wheat sowing.
The best time to plant wheat after rice is from
November 1-21. Thereafter, delay of one day
results in yield reduction by 30-35kg per hectare.

8. • Zero-tillage planting is a resource-conserving approach (Erenstein et al.
2007)
• Helps to control obnoxious weeds ( Erenstein and Laxmi 2008)
• Less fuel consumption, shortened field time during tillage operations
(Juergens et al., 2004)
• Better soil structure, texture and aggregate stability (Ghuman and Sur,
2001)
• Protective effect of crop residues left over the soil (Dabney et al., 2004).
• Increased soil water availability and increased number of Biopores, that
may facilitate root growth (Martino and Shaykewich, 1994).

9. • Increase in soil density.
• Reduced infiltration rate and pore space.
• The seedling establishment in zero tillage is 20% less than in
conventional methods.
• Require 20-30% more seed and fertilizer

10. Contradiction
• zero tillage is simply placing the seed on soil surface
and no tillage operation is carried out for instance
surface seeding of wheat in standing cotton in relay
cropping system.
• All crop may not be sown through surface seeding so
zero tillage may be defined as sowing of crop with not
more than two number of tillage via zero tillage
machines like happy seeder.

11. • A common perception by farmers is that zero tilling
doesn't work, that crop yields will be lower, and that
crop quality is poorer. Some
• People think a zero tilled field is less aesthetically
pleasing since the field is left alone with plant and
weed residues over its surface, indicating the
potential for increased pesticide or herbicide costs.
However, these perceptions may be false. It takes
approximately 5 years before a real benefit can be
observed and demonstrated, and most
• People tend to ignore benefits that aren‘t readily seen

12. References
• Erenstein, O., and V. Laxmi. 2008. Zero tillage impacts in india's rice-wheat systems: A review. Soil and Tillage
Research 100 (1−2): 1−14
• Erenstein, O. 2007. Resource conserving technologies in rice-wheat systems: Issues and challenges. In Science,
technology, and trade for peace and prosperity: Proceedings of the 26th International Rice Research
Conference, October 9–12, 2006, New Delhi, India, ed. P. K. Aggarwal, J. K. Ladha, R. K. Singh, C.
Devakumar, and B. Hardy. Los Baños, Philippines, and New Delhi, India: International Rice Research
Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and Nationa Academy of Agricultural Science.
• Ghuman, B.S., Sur, H.S., 2001. Tillage and residue management effects on soil properties and yields on rainfed
maize and wheat in a subhumid subtropical climate. Soil Till. Res. 58, 1–10.
• Juergens, L.A., Young, D.L., Schillinger, W.F., Hinman, H.R., 2004. Economics of alternative no-till spring
crop rotations in Washington’s wheat–fallow region. Agron. J. 96, 154–158
• Dabney, S.M., Wilson, G.V., McGregor, K.C., Foster, G.R., 2004.History, residue, and tillage effects on erosion
of loessial soil.Trans. ASAE 47, 767–775
• Martino, D.L., Shaykewich, C.F., 1994. Root penetration profiles of wheat and barley as affected by soil
penetration resistance in field conditions. Can. J. Soil Sci. 74, 193–200.