Evaluating the Impact of Conservation Agriculture Practices on Soil Quality and Long-Term Yield Stability

Conservation Agriculture (CA) has emerged as a transformative approach to sustainable farming, focusing on minimizing soil disturbance, maintaining permanent soil cover, and promoting crop diversification. With growing concerns about soil degradation, declining productivity, and the need for climate-resilient systems, CA offers a pathway to restore soil health while maintaining or enhancing yield stability over time. This review synthesizes recent findings (2015–2025) on how CA practices influence soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, as well as their implications for long-term crop productivity. Evidence from diverse agroecological contexts demonstrates that CA enhances soil organic matter (SOM), water retention, nutrient use efficiency, and microbial diversity—key indicators of soil quality. However, yield responses vary depending on climatic zone, soil texture, and management intensity. The paper highlights current knowledge gaps and proposes research directions for optimizing CA under changing environmental conditions.