Rainfed cropping predominates in the highlands of central Mexico, with varying average annual rainfall ranging geographically from 350 to 1000 mm. Most rainfall occurs during the 4-6 month summer season and is typified by erratic, heavy showers commonly followed by unpredictable dry periods. Dry, cool winter seasons, essentially without cropping unless irrigation is available, follow the rainy summer season. Maize (Zea mays L.) is the main crop followed by dry beans (Phaeolus vulgaris L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) among others. Most farmers are small-scale, near subsistence producers and almost all farmers use tillage, remove/burn crop residues and carry out extensive mono-cropping. These traditional cropping practices have led to unstable and unsustainable crop productivity with associated degradation of most soil physical, biological and chemical parameters. There has been negligible farmer adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA) technologies, which entail marked tillage reduction, surface retention of adequate crop residues and diversified crop rotations. Adoption of CA technologies in other countries with similar rainfed production systems has led to reduced production costs and enhanced crop yield and yield stability largely owing to more efficient water use as well as reversals in chronic soil degradation. The findings reported here compare a range of alternative CA technologies involving different seeding systems (flat planting versus raised bed planting), tillage levels (conventional versus zero reduced/zero tillage), crop residue management options (full removal, full retention and partial retention) and different crop rotations on crop yield, yield stability and economic viability.

Conservation Agriculture Program|Genetic Resources Program

Text in English

INT2813|CSAY01|INT2602|I1705038