Modern concepts of soil conservation

Abstract

Approaches to soil conservation are in constant evolution and improvement. This article summarizes some of the modern approaches, ranging from no tillage to conservation agriculture (CA) to sustainable land management (SLM). These approaches are not separate, but components of a continuum of conservation approaches applicable at different levels and different scales. No tillage is important at the detailed, farm level, while CA and SLM are important at the farming systems and corporate levels. The successes achieved with no tillage in Argentina (also Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and others) illustrate how these concepts relate to each other.