Effects of zone-adapted tillage on soil physical properties and carbon emissions from soil and fuel sources under precision farming conditions

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a central role in maintaining soil physical conditions, regulating soil carbon dynamics and influencing greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural systems. Soil management strategies that minimize disturbance while preserving favourable physical properties are therefore essential under precision farming conditions. This study evaluated the effects of zone-adapted tillage (ZAT) on soil physical properties, soil CO₂ emissions and fuel-related CO₂ emissions compared with fixed-depth tillage (FDT).

A field experiment was conducted in 2024 in the Kaunas district of Lithuania using an electromagnetic soil electrical conductivity (ECa) map and a GPS-controlled combined cultivator. Tillage depths in the ZAT treatment were adjusted according to field management zones (10, 14 and 18 cm), whereas FDT was performed at a uniform depth of 15 cm.

ZAT resulted in smaller increases in soil bulk density in the 0–10 cm layer (5%) compared with FDT (9%), while maintaining more favourable soil moisture and porosity conditions. Changes in aeration porosity and soil penetration resistance indicated differences in disturbance intensity during tillage. Soil CO₂ emissions varied across management zones, showing more stable responses under ZAT. This suggest that adapting tillage intensity to spatial soil variability may help moderate soil carbon turnover by limiting excessive physical disturbance. Fuel consumption was approximately 14% lower under ZAT, resulting in a proportional reduction in fuel-derived CO₂ emissions.

Overall, adapting tillage depth to soil variability improved soil physical conditions while reducing both soil carbon disturbance and emissions associated with fuel combustion, supporting more sustainable soil management in precision farming systems.