Relative importance of pests in conventional and conservation tillage: a review of the literature
1991
Ortega, A. (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo, Mexico, DF (Mexico). Maize Program)
In traditional or conventional tillage systems, crop residues and associated weeds are burned, incorporated, used for grazing or collected for domestic use and feed. Under these systems, soil surface is left unprotected and vulnerable to erosion processes for long periods of time. In constrast, in conservation tillage, plant cover is managed to induce the establishment of mulches. These mulches, protectors of the soil surface, provide organic matter and promote better interception and infiltration of rain or irrigation water. The decrease or suspension for prolonged periods of seedbed preparation, as well as maintaining crop residues and weeds on the soil surface, may alter the relative abundance of biotic components in the agro-ecosystem. The plant cover and undisturbed soil are carriers of harmless organisms and those considered pests. The relative position of both, as well as that of parasites and predators, may also be modified. This paper attempts to summarize the accumulated experience on these pests, based on a review of relevant literature
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