The past several decades have witnessed a change from traditional to more intensive agriculture in dryland farming systems of Central and West Asia and North Africa. Agriculture is mainly rainfed in about 200 to 600 mm rainfall per year. Dryland crops are mainly wheat, barley, food and forage legumes. Increasing human and livestock population has led soil degradation in the region. Thus, ICARDA assessed tillage systems for efficiency, enhanced productivity and sustainability through a series of long-term trials in the mid 1980's in close collaboration with the national programs. Results support a preference for the conservation tillage system over conventional deep tillage on both energy use efficiency and increased net revenue. However, whenever available and tested and adopted by farmers with their participatory evaluation as in Central Asia, no-till direct sowing would increase soil organic matter from about 0.9.