No-till (NT) farming systems are a defining feature of modern conservation agriculture (CA), providing benefits for soil and water conservation, operational efficiency, and resource-use efficiency. However, long-term NT adoption across Australian dryland cropping systems has also intensified inherent and emergent soil constraints, including subsurface compaction, topsoil water repellence, acidity, and nutrient stratification. These constraints limit crop water use and yield potential. In the sandy soils of southern and western Australia, strategic deep tillage (SDT) has been developed in otherwise NT systems to alleviate these constraints. Advances in machinery design and controlled traffic systems have enabled deeper, more effective amelioration treatments, transforming previously low-performing sandy landscapes into productive and resilient cropping zones. Yield responses to SDT on sandy soils in multiple crops frequently average 40% and persist for several years, driven by increased root exploration, enhanced water infiltration and storage, and improved early crop vigour. Although short-term erosion and soil structural risks exist, these are largely mitigated through careful timing, residue retention, and rapid reversion to NT practices between the infrequent SDT events. Tillage was considered at odds with NT systems, but SDT and NT are now functionally interdependent to maintain and advance the productivity of Australian sandy dryland cropping systems and are relevant to the 33 M ha of sandy soil crop land globally. Future research areas include understanding SDT impacts on soil carbon dynamics, nutrient cycling, water use efficiency, and the longevity of physical soil improvements. This review highlights the importance of systems-based approaches to CA, in which adaptive tillage strategies can play a central role to increase yield potential and narrow yield gaps on constrained soils. • No-till (NT) benefits are context specific, with variable yield, soil, and system responses. • In Australia, long-term NT exposed underlying sandy soil constraints. • Strategic deep tillage (SDT) complements NT, delivering lasting yield gains in sandy soils. • Sustainable intensification needs pragmatic SDT where soil constraints are constraining NT.
McBeath et al. (Sun,) studied this question.