Conservation Agriculture In Latin America and the Caribbean.

In different South America and Caribbean countries the great part of the agroecological zones from these countries, the no-tillage system associated with crop rotation, including cover crops species increases the amount of crop residues left as mulch on the topsoil, and can be an important and sustainable alternative for soil management in tropical and subtropical conditions. Many research's and farmers experience, mainly with small scale farmers has shown an improvement in soil structure leading to better soil aggregation and infiltration;  nutrients recycling;  soil organic carbon;  weed control; less pest, disease ∕ nematodes; less labor; increasing crop yields leading to higher farm net income. The use different species of cover crops in diversified cropping systems (annual and perennial crops) are an important tool to achieve better soil water erosion control, enhancing soil attributes (physical, chemical and biological), promote greater biodiversity, with more equilibrium at soil-water-crops relation and less risks of pests, diseases ∕ nematodes occurrence. Many different cover crop species has been successfully used in all these countries, such as: Cajanus cajan (normal, dwarf), Crotalarias (juncea, spectabilis, ochroleuca, breviflora), Mucuna aterrima (grey, black, dwarf), Clitoria ternatea, Buckwheat (Fagopirum sculetum), Pearl millet, Sudangrass, Stylosanthes sp., Arachis pintoi, Neonotonia wightii, Brachiaria sp., Paspalum sp., including fall ∕ winter species in the South Brazil, mainly, Avena strigosa (Black oat), Raphanus sativus (Radish), Vicia villosa (hairy vetch), field pea (Pisum sativum subsp. Arvense), Lupin (Lupinus albus), rye (Secale cereale), ray grass, etc. Including some mixing cover crops (cocktail), where two, three or more species are mixed in the field, such as: oat + vetch, Crotalaria + millet or cajanus + Millet + Crotalaria, etc., can be used in annual and perennial cropping systems. Many cover crop species can increase the abundance of predators or antagonist organisms which will promote better environmental equilibrium in whole system.