Given that subtropical highlands around the world are experiencing problems of environmental degradation, this article examines conservation agriculture methods for maize and wheat to combat soil erosion and fertility decline. While methods of rotating crops and maintaining residues proved to be effective over the long range of the study, it took some 5 years for yield benefits to emerge. Moreover, the research also demonstrated that there was not a significant difference in yield when some of the surface cover was removed. It is suggested that this could be a positive sign in encouraging smallholder adoption as it allows for multiple uses of crop residues for fertility gains and the maintenance of livestock.