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In Malawi and throughout much of Africa, maize yields have declined over the past several decades due to continuous cultivation, often in monocropping with little or no inputs. As a result, soil degradation has been aggravated by the loss of valuable top soil caused by rainwater runoff due to the absence of effective conservation practices. To combat this trend, Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems were introduced using a pointed stick or hand hoe to plant directly into untilled soil with crop residues as surface mulch. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of different cropping systems (CA and conventional) on soil physical and chemical parameters and long-term maize productivity in target communities of the southern and central regions of Malawi. This study analysed the effects of CA on soil parameters and maize yield over eight cropping seasons. The biophysical variability of the communities was …