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Tillage is a mechanical modification of the soil. Intensive tillage can disturb the soil structure, thus increasing erosion, decreasing water retention capacity, reducing soil organic matter through the compaction and transformation of pores. No-till farming (also called zero tillage or direct drilling) is a way of growing crops or pasture from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till is an agricultural technique which increases the amount of water that infiltrates into the soil and increases organic matter retention and cycling of nutrients in the soil. In many agricultural regions it can eliminate soil erosion. The most powerful benefit of no-tillage is improvement in soil biological fertility, making soils more resilient.
Benefits
Ecosystem service
Level | Benefits | |
---|---|---|
High | Regulatory and maintenance | ES8 - Erosion/sediment control |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES4 - Biodiversity preservation |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES5 - Climate change adaptation and mitigation |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES6 - Groundwater/aquifer recharge |
Medium | Regulatory and maintenance | ES9 - Filtration of pollutants |
Biophysical impacts
Level | Benefits | ||
---|---|---|---|
High | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Reducing pollution | BP8 - Reduce pollutant sources |
High | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Soil conservation | BP11 - Improve soils |
High | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Climate alteration | BP17 - Absorb and/or retain CO2 |
Medium | Mechanism of Water Retention | Reducing runoff | BP7 - Increase soil water retention |
Medium | Biophysical Impacts Resulting from Water Retention | Soil conservation | BP10 - Reduce erosion and/or sediment delivery |
Low | Mechanism of Water Retention | Reducing runoff | BP6 - Increase infiltration and/or groundwater recharge |
Policy Objectives
Level | Benefits |
---|---|
High | PO11 - Better protection for ecosystems and more use of Green Infrastructure |
Medium | PO2 - Improving status of physico-chemical quality elements |
Medium | PO3 - Improving status of hydromorphology quality elements |
Medium | PO5 - Improving quantitative status |
Medium | PO7 - Prevent surface water status deterioration |
Medium | PO9 - Take adequate and co-ordinated measures to reduce flood risks |
Low | PO12 - More sustainable agriculture and forestry |
Low | PO14 - Prevention of biodiversity loss |