Soil quality alteration by mouldboard ploughing in a commercial farm devoted to no-tillage under Mediterranean conditions

▶ Conservation tillage benefits might be confirmed in large commercial farms. ▶ No tillage at long term has occasionally caused yield losses (by soil compaction mainly). ▶ One single mouldboard ploughing application decreased soil quality at surface. ▶ Mouldboard ploughing did not improve crop performance and yield at short or midterm. ▶ Occasional mouldboard ploughing application was not justified in erodible soils.