In the Mediterranean region, increasing the area of crops subject to conservation agriculture (CA) has become vital to manage soil erosion, retain soil moisture, reduce fossil fuel usage, and lower costs.
As microbial activity and soil organic matter increase, it improves soil health and crop yields, making it more sustainable and environmentally beneficial once established. Crop rotations that are optimised in conservation agriculture help manage weeds and enhance nutrient availability, resulting in a more sustainable farming system.The majority of crop varieties being cultivated under CA, on the other hand, were created using conventional or full tillage methods.
In order to achieve the higher yields required to keep up with human population increase, crop improvement solutions that embrace conservation agriculture as the interaction between enhanced crop genotype and an optimised farming system must be created.
