Russian scientists proposed replacing traditional methods of cultivating crops with two resource-saving methods: minimal and zero tillage. Such methods help obtain a high yield with maximum profitability and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

The research team from the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center and the Kemerovo State University has found that crops grown on untreated soil in a forest-steppe zone of southern Siberia are not inferior in yield to cultivated plowing. The introduction of minimum tillage and direct sowing reduces costs by almost 50 percent.

Resource-saving technologies reduce soil erosion due to plant residues on the surface, reduce the energy intensity of agricultural production, increase labor productivity and economic efficiency of growing crops.

Photo credit: Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center.