Abstract: Black soil is well known for its fertile qualities and high levels of organic matter. The black soil zone in Northeast China is one of three major black soil regions in the world. In recent years， the natural factors and human activity weakened the quality of black soil， resulting in the loss of water and soil seriously. Therefore， protection of soil and water resources is not only related to the development in Northeast China， but also important to support the sustainable development of agriculture. In the present paper， both domestic and foreign achievements about conservation tillage were summarized to clarify the characteristics of conservation tillage and possible mechanism of conservation tillage in reducing soil erosion. Considering the conflicting results about the real effect of conservation tillage on water and soil conservation， this paper specifically addressed the importance of long\|term study. Finally， the difficulties encountered in the implication of conservation tillage in Northeast China were pointed out， and corresponding suggestions were made to provide references for the promotion of conservation tillage.

Key words: conservation tillage, soil erosion, black soil, runoff