E
cosystem
servicesdelivered
Provisioning
Regulation & maintenance
Cultural
Abiotic
C
ontribution
topolicyobjectives
Water Framework Directive
Floods Directive
Birds & Habitats Directive
2020 Biodiversity Strategy
P
otential
biophysicaleffects
Runoff
Reducing pollution
Soil conservation
Habitat
Climate Change
High
Low
Medium
None
Evidence of the impact of low-till agriculture appears to be mixed, either reducing runoff (by 32% in Hungary) or not (Spain). Catchment level promotion of low-till can contribute
to mitigating flood risks, in combination with other measures.
The impact of low-till on reducing pollutant sources seems low. Regarding
erosion and sediment delivery
, reduced tillage shows positive impacts if combined with catch crops
(12 to 84% reduction in erosion susceptibility). Reduced tillage may thus contribute to improving and preserving water status of hydro-morphological quality elements.
Impacts of low-till on soil are variable: low-till can lead to a 12% increase of soil organic matter in the upper layer only, and 9% increase in bulk density at 0.15-0.30m depth.
According to some studies,
infiltration potential
is higher for conservation tillage than for conventional tillage in silty soils but lower in sandy loam soils. Others show that
increased bulk density offsets the effects of increased macro-porosity on infiltration.
Reduced tillage does not contribute significantly to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Combined with other measures, it can contribute to sustainable agriculture but its
impacts are linked to soil type and climate.
