Soil health: Looking for the effect of tillage on soil physical health

Abstract

Soil health refers to the ecological equilibrium and the functionality of a soil and its capacity to maintain a well balanced ecosystem with high biodiversity above and below surface, and productivity. However, feeding seven billion people with en­vironmental sustainability is a challenge for the next generations. Good soil physical health is essential for optimum sustained crop production. Soil tillage has a direct influence on the soil physical health. Tillage exerts impact on the soil purposely to produce crop and consequently affects the environment. An appropriate tillage system needs to be practiced so as to take care of the soil health, plant growth and the environment simultaneously. Therefore, to achieve sustainable food production with minimal impact on the soil and the atmosphere, conservation tillage practices become more important now than ever ensuring sustainable food production and maintaining environmental integrity. This paper aims to review the work done on maintaining and restoring soil health, an overview of the soil health indicators and above all the impact of tillage and its different types in different agro-ecological regions so as to understand its influence from the perspectives of the soil, the crop and the environment.