Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

No-tillage soybean systems for improved soil moisture and yield stability

China

Soybean production in Northeast China is increasingly affected by soil degradation, moisture loss, rising production costs and climate variability. Conventional tillage disturbs soil structure, accelerates moisture loss and increases labour requirements. Within the trans4num project, conservation agriculture approaches were tested to reduce soil disturbance while maintaining productivity. Results show that no-tillage systems can improve crop establishment, lower production costs and support more resilient soybean production.

The need

Soybean growers face several challenges, including reduced soil moisture during crop establishment, increasing costs linked to intensive tillage, weed pressure, unstable crop emergence, soil degradation caused by repeated soil disturbance, and the need to maintain yields while reducing environmental impacts.

The benefits

For farmers

  • Lower fuel, labour and machinery costs.
  • Improved crop establishment.
  • Higher yield potential.
  • Fewer tillage operations.

For the environment

  • Better soil moisture conservation.
  • Reduced soil disturbance and erosion risk.
  • Improved soil biological activity.
  • More efficient use of resources.

For advisors and policymakers

  • A practical pathway towards conservation agriculture.
  • Lower environmental footprint without sacrificing productivity.
  • A scalable solution for large soybean-growing regions.

Additional information

trans4num solution

The project compared four soybean production systems: no-tillage with row-specific seeding (NTRS), strip tillage (STRS), deep tillage (DTRS) and conventional ridge tillage (RTR). The NTRS system combines direct seeding with minimal soil disturbance while leaving crop residues on the soil surface to conserve moisture, regulate soil temperature and protect soil structure.

Results (Y1–Y3) showed that NTRS increased soil temperature and moisture during early crop development, improved emergence rates by 2.7–4.7%, accelerated emergence and crop uniformity, reduced weed dominance and improved weed management timing, increased pod numbers and yield potential, lowered labour requirements and production costs, and improved profitability compared with conventional systems.

AKIS system

The innovation is supported by a research-led AKIS involving the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), regional research institutes, experimental stations, demonstration fields and farmer outreach activities. Knowledge generation is currently led by research organisations, with increasing emphasis on farmer engagement and practical demonstrations.

Challenges / limitations

Adoption may be slow where conventional tillage is well established, performance depends on local soil conditions, and farmers may perceive greater risks during the transition.

Resources needed & scaling

Implementation requires specialised no-tillage machinery, advisory support, long-term monitoring, farmer training and demonstration activities. Wider adoption would benefit from technical guidance, improved access to suitable seeding equipment, demonstration farms, peer-to-peer learning and incentives supporting reduced-tillage practices. Simple changes in tillage can improve soil conditions, increase profitability and strengthen climate resilience while reducing production costs.

Source Project
Transformation for sustainable nutrient supply and management
Ongoing | 2022-2026
Main funding source
Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, China
Project details

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