.:: Lao Knowledge Base on Conservation Agriculture ::.
DMCs are designed to function like forest ecosystems, which are naturally stable, sustainable and based on high biological activity. This biological activity replaces mechanical tillage and enhances the soil structure, nutrient recycling and water management. These systems emulate the function of forests by promoting litter production and functioning in a closed circuit, without loss of material (chemical elements and soil) in deep horizons or on the surface, and with constant recycling between dead and live plant material. On a plot scale, DMCs are based on three key principles: - The soil is never tilled and crops are sown by direct seeding.
- Plant cover (dead or live) provides permanent soil cover.
- Crop sequences or rotations are implemented in association with cover plants.
The technical conditions for DMC implementation vary markedly depending on the prevailing socioeconomic and agroenvironmental settings. No standard ‘recipe’ can thus be proposed, which would be too simplistic.
