Sustainable land management technologies: minimum soil disturbance
Sustainable Land Management contribution to successful land-based climate change adaptation and mitigation: A report of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI)
Definition
Minimum soil disturbance are actions that reduce the level of soil manipulation, for example by applying low soil disturbance to shallow depths or on small strips of land. This includes zero tillage (no-till), reduced (minimum) tillage, mulch tillage, ridge tillage and contour tillage, and also the practice of direct seeding. The technology can be applied to different land use types, including cropland.
Benefits
According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), minimum soil disturbance is often implemented with the goal of maintaining or increasing soil fertility/quality, and can provide multiple co-benefits, such as reducing soil erosion and compaction, improving water availability and retention. In some cases, the technology has shown to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, and could be considered a potential climate change mitigation option.
Examples of SLM best practices in minimum soil disturbance
Below are examples of best practices in minimum soil disturbance cited in the report on SLM by the SPI.
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