Dryland agriculture is important worldwide, with nearly half of the Earth's land being semi-arid or arid. Soil degradation is a big issue in these areas, caused by erosion and other factors. Conservation agriculture, which involves practices like not disturbing the soil and keeping it covered with crops, can help reduce degradation and improve soil quality. This approach has been successful in regions with enough rainfall to support crop rotation. By using conservation agriculture, cereal yields in dryland areas could increase by 30 to 60% annually.