Soil management practices improve physical properties of soil, movement of water within the soil and yield of crops: A review

Abstract

Soil is a fundamental medium for plant growth, and its health and productivity are largely determined by its texture and structural characteristics. Soil management is part of production technology and plays an important role to ensure yield productivity of all crops. Water holding capacity, pH and nutrient absorption vary with respect to the soil type. Crop requirement also depends upon the specific type of soil. Tillage practice can affect the physical properties of soil as well as its water holding property and movement of water within the soil. Maximum temperature extreme can burn the organic matter of the soil. Deep tillage increased the bulk density and soil strength of the cultivated area. Greater agricultural intensification can heighten erosion and soil deterioration, mostly in high-temperature zones characterized by thin topsoil layers. Reducing the tillage system, compared to traditional tillage methods, improves precipitation, storage efficiency and increases the amount of water available for crop production. Farming practice like bed and flat planting, mulching also affected the yield of various crops. This article covers effect of all agronomic practices on different crops and can be very useful for farmers. In future studies other than tillage operation would be conducted because agronomic practices like sowing date, thinning, weeding, intercropping, green manuring, vermicompost and crop spacing also have potential effect on crop yield. So, the wise and timely use of farming practice according to the crop requirement is a key to obtain the higher yield of the crops. © 2025 The Author(s)