ABSTRACT
Conservation tillage in different regions will have specific characteristics in line with particular ecological conditions and plant production characteristics. The area of eastern Europe is very heterogeneous with regard to prevailing soil type. Soils belong to almost all of the land capability classes, which underline the importance of applying different forms of conservation tillage, based on climate and crop requirements. Considering the existing agricultural zones in eastern Europe, and the cropping systems within them, five important farm enterprises or farm enterprise groups can be distinguished: grain cropping, fodder cropping, hoe cropping, specialty crops and dairying. Climatic constraints to the application of conservation tillage in the wider area of eastern Europe are primarily manifested through unfavorable hydrothermic characteristics. In most eastern European countries, the development of conservation tillage systems proceeds more in a scientific than in a practical direction. Diversity of ecological conditions and a relatively large number of field crops grown often result in a large divergence of investigation results.
