Sustainable Farming Systems and Tillage Practices: Impacts on Soil Health and Crop Productivity in Semi-Arid Agroecosystems

In semi-arid areas, sustainable agriculture involves maximizing soil health, crop productivity, and resource efficiency. Our study referenced a three-year field experiment by the Agroecology Research Station in a full-factor randomized complete block design with an intervention factor for the farming system (organic or conventional) and a control factor for the tillage regime (strip-tillage or moldboard). Physical, chemical, biological and soil properties, crop yield, and water use efficiency were observed, and statistical analysis was performed through the use of linear mixed-effects models with repeated measures. Findings indicated that organic production enhanced microbial biomass and nutrient turnover, strip-till farming enhanced soil structure and water retention, and the combination of both had a synergistic impact on crop productivity and water use efficiency.