Conservation Agriculture and Livestock interactions in Mexico

[Slp_grant_cimmyt07mexico]

full title: "Conservation Agriculture and Livestock interactions in the highlands of Mexico: developing sustainable solutions to the multiple demands for crop residues in CA/livestock systems by smallholder farmers"

In the maize-based cropping systems of the Mexican highlands, heavy tillage, removal of crop residues and lack of crop rotations have led to soil erosion and degradation of soil structure. As a consequence, the soil no longer absorbs rainwater efficiently. The profitability of these systems is very low, and farming families often have to depend on relatives working away and government support systems to make ends meet.

Agronomists at the International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) and the national research institute have been investigating the potential of conservation agriculture, reporting that zero-till systems with residue retention and crop rotation can increase maize yields by 25–30% and reduce production costs by 20– 25% when compared with conventional practices. However, maize stover is also in demand as fodder for livestock.

The study Conservation agriculture and livestock interactions in the highlands of Mexico compares the effects of different management technologies and crop rotations on crop and livestock productivity with particular emphasis on on-farm experiments, training extension workers, market scoping and value chain analyses.