The study looked at how different ways of preparing soil for growing cotton and maize crops affect the soil's properties. They tested three methods: minimum tillage, conventional tillage, and zero tillage, along with different ways of arranging the land. After three years, they found that zero tillage had the best physical environment for soil, with the highest porosity. It also had the most bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes in the soil, as well as the highest dehydrogenase activity. Zero tillage also had the highest levels of certain types of carbon in the soil, showing that it can help maintain soil fertility and store more carbon to protect the environment.