ABSTRACT
Conservation tillage is a model of sustainable agriculture as it leads to profitable food production while protecting and even restoring natural resources. Conservation agriculture (CA) benefits farmers because it reduces production costs and increases yields, but it also has positive impacts on the whole society: enhancement of food security thanks to a better soil fertility, improvement of water quality, reduction of erosion and mitigation of climate change by increasing carbon sequestration. CA is based on healthy functioning of the whole agro-ecosystem with a maximum attention and focus on the soil. The paradigm of CA is that an undisturbed soil has the opportunity to develop and produce healthier plants. Organic management systems attempt to increase soil organic matter through additions of plant biomass generated by cover cropping practices, additions of manure, compost, and other organic amendments, and conservation of crop residue.
