Conservation Agriculture Research Updates - March 2026

This study evaluated a maize-wheat system (MWCS) using 4 crop establishment and tillage practices: Flat bed (FB)–conventional tillage both in maize and wheat; Raised bed (RB)–CT in maize and ZT in wheat); FB but ZT both in maize and wheat); Permanent raised bed (PRB–ZT both in maize and wheat. Also five P-fertilization practices. Double zero-tilled PRBZT–PRBZT system significantly enhanced the maize grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 13.1–19% over conventional FBCT–FBCT. P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP, integrating soil applied-P, microbial-inoculants and foliar-P, had significantly higher grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 12.5–17.2% over P100. They conclude that double zero-tilled PRBZT–PRBZT with crop residue retention at 6 t/ha per year along with P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP while saving 34.7% fertilizer-P in MWCS is the best treatments.

Interesting paper on the effect of CA practices and especially tillage (with and without), residue management (burned, incorporated or surface mulch) and fertilizer (with or without) on tilled or permanent beds (PB) on the soil microbial community in a long term maize-wheat experiment in NW Mexico. The soil organic carbon was highest in the PB, residue retained treatment and loweest in the burned and tilled plots. Bacterial communities were affected by tillage-residue, fertilizer and soil organic carbon. The paper has data on how the different bacterial communities were affected.