Which soil management practice reduces erosion by leaving a significant amount of crop residue on the surface?

Which soil management practice reduces erosion by leaving a significant amount of crop residue on the surface?

• A. Conventional Tillage
• B. No-Till
• C. Reduced Tillage
• D. Conservation Tillage

Answer: (A)

Preserving soil surface cover is the main idea. When crop residue remains on the surface, it acts like a shield, shielding soil from the impact of raindrops and slowing down surface runoff, which greatly reduces erosion. Conventional tillage disrupts soil and buries or chops up residue, leaving the surface more exposed and erosion risk higher. Conservation tillage is designed to keep residue on the surface and protect the soil; the forms of this approach include no-till and reduced tillage, which leave varying amounts of residue but all aim to maintain substantial cover. No-till leaves nearly all the previous crop residue on the field, providing strong erosion protection, while reduced tillage leaves more residue than conventional tillage but less than no-till. Overall, the practice described as leaving a significant amount of residue on the surface to reduce erosion is conservation tillage.

Preserving soil surface cover is the main idea. When crop residue remains on the surface, it acts like a shield, shielding soil from the impact of raindrops and slowing down surface runoff, which greatly reduces erosion. Conventional tillage disrupts soil and buries or chops up residue, leaving the surface more exposed and erosion risk higher. Conservation tillage is designed to keep residue on the surface and protect the soil; the forms of this approach include no-till and reduced tillage, which leave varying amounts of residue but all aim to maintain substantial cover. No-till leaves nearly all the previous crop residue on the field, providing strong erosion protection, while reduced tillage leaves more residue than conventional tillage but less than no-till. Overall, the practice described as leaving a significant amount of residue on the surface to reduce erosion is conservation tillage.