Conservation tillage is an agricultural management approach that aims to minimize the frequency or intensity of tillage operations to promote certain economic and environmental benefits. The definition of conservation tillage varies slightly depending on the source, but it generally refers to any tillage and planting system that leaves at least 30% of the soil surface covered by crop residue after planting. The following are some key points about conservation tillage:

• Conservation tillage practices reduce soil erosion by protecting the soil surface and allowing water to infiltrate instead of running off.
• Crop residues play a key role in conservation tillage by protecting soil resources, enhancing soil quality, restoring degraded ecosystems, improving nutrient cycling, increasing water conservation and availability, enhancing pest suppression, reducing runoff and leaching of nutrients off-site, and more.
• Conservation tillage practices include no-till, strip-till, ridge-till, and mulch-till systems.
• Insect, rodent, and pathogen pest problems may increase with tillage reduction due to continuous plant residue on the soil surface.
• Conservation tillage requires a high level of management, and decisions should be based on the severity of the erosion problem, soil type, crop rotation, latitude, available equipment, and management skills.

Overall, conservation tillage can contribute to the sustainability of an agricultural system by providing a range of potential environmental and economic benefits.