Leaving crop residue on the soil surface improves nutrient cycling and, ultimately, soil quality that will increase and sustain soil productivity. Through conservation practices that include balanced residue management and soil fertility, environmental quality can be substantially enhanced. Conservation tillage can improve soil physical structure and water storage, protect moisture, and increase crop yield. However, the long-term adoption of a single tillage method may have some adverse effects on soil and ecological environment, although crop yields have increased. Residue retention or incorporation increases soil organic carbon, aggregate stability and better regulation of soil hydrothermal regime. Therefore, conservation tillage along with residue management on a long- term basis increases crop yield by improving soil physical properties. Tillage operations generally loosens the soil, decreases soil bulk density and penetration resistance by increasing soil macroporosity. Under these conditions, improvements were also obtained in crop development and yield. Crop residue management through conservation agriculture can improve soil productivity and crop production by maintaining SOM levels. Two significant advantages of surface-residue management are increased OM near the soil surface and enhanced nutrient cycling and retention. Tillage effects on soil organic matter can be magnified through soil erosion and loss of soil productivity. Soil organic matter is a natural reservoir for nutrients, buffers against soil erosion, and improves the soil environment to sustain soil productivity. Incorporating crop residue with tillage practices have advantage through adding organic matter and carbon to the soil that are preconditions for the better physical, biological as well as for chemical properties. Allowance of crop residue to the soil surface reduces its bulk density and compaction. Crop residues can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix CO2 in the soil. Good residue management practices on agricultural lands have many positive impacts on soil quality. The no tilled soil significantly alter values of dehydrogenase, urease, protease, phosphatase and h-glucosidase activities and aggregate stability than tilled soils.Tillage and residue management practices significantly alter enzyme activity in soil in diverse cropping systems. Reduction in the intensity of tillage and residue incorporation can substantially increase enzyme activity in soil which is an indication of better soil quality and sustainability of any cropping system.

Tillage and residue management practices significantly alter enzyme activity in soil in diverse cropping systems. Reduction in the intensity of tillage and residue incorporation can substantially increase enzyme activity in soil which is an indication of better soil quality and sustainability of any cropping system. Incorporating crop residue with tillage practices have advantage through adding organic matter and carbon to the soil that are preconditions for the better physical, biological as well as for chemical properties. Allowance of crop residue to the soil surface reduces its bulk density and compaction. Residue retention or incorporation increases soil organic carbon, aggregate stability and better regulation of soil hydrothermal regime. Therefore, conservation tillage along with residue management on a long- term basis increases crop yield by improving soil physical properties. Leaving crop residue on the soil surface improves nutrient cycling and, ultimately, soil quality that will increase and sustain soil productivity. Through conservation practices that include balanced residue management and soil fertility, environmental quality can be substantially enhanced. Residue management is managing the amount, orientation and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface throughout the year. It includes all soil disturbing activities like tillage, nutrient applications and harvesting of residue. Conservation tillage cultivates land that uses leftovers from last year's crops to reduce soil erosion and runoff.

Conservation tillage along with residue management on a long- term basis increases crop yield by improving soil physical properties. Leaving crop residue on the soil surface improves nutrient cycling and, ultimately, soil quality that will increase and sustain soil productivity. Incorporating crop residue with tillage practices have advantage through adding organic matter and carbon to the soil that are preconditions for the better physical, biological as well as for chemical properties. Allowance of crop residue to the soil surface reduces its bulk density and compaction. Returning crop residues to soil can improve soil physical properties by increasing soil moisture content, decreasing bulk density, and increasing total porosity and aggregate stability. Effects of full straw incorporation on soil fertility and crop yield in rice-wheat rotation for silty clay loamy cropland. Tillage and residue management practices significantly alter enzyme activity in soil in diverse cropping systems. Reduction in the intensity of tillage and residue incorporation can substantially increase enzyme activity in soil which is an indication of better soil quality and sustainability of any cropping system.Crop residues can improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix CO2 in the soil. Good residue management practices on agricultural lands have many positive impacts on soil quality. Besides, crop residues can be used in biofuel production. Context specific incorporation or surface retention of crop residues could enhance soil organic matter and carbon storage, soil moisture retention, nutrient cycling, while decreasing soil loss, and providing other environmental and soil health benefits. Residue management is managing the amount, orientation and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface throughout the year. It includes all soil disturbing activities like tillage, nutrient applications and harvesting of residue.