Integration of crop-livestock in Conservation Agriculture systems

Description

This chapter draws heavily on Brazilian experience, not only because of author affiliations, but due to the fact that Brazil is a current world leader in ICL-CA and in Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry management systems under CA (ICLF-CA) adoption and research, currently with 11.5 million hectares under these systems (83% under ICL-CA ) and a government-sponsored Low Carbon Agriculture programme supporting research and extension towards achieving Brazil’s international goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions The process of pasture degradation will not be covered here, since it is dealt with in detail by other authors referred to in the text; it is considerably reduced, or eliminated, by ICL-CA.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Basic principles of integrated crop-livestock systems in CA 3 Basic principles of ley farming 4 Integrated crop-livestock management (ICL-CA) systems: ley farming systems 5 Systems involving forestry (ICL-CA(F)) 6 Non-ley integrated farming systems 7 Area integration systems 8 Interactions in integrated crop-livestock systems 9 Adoption of ICL-CA and ICL-CA(F) systems 10 Policy considerations 11 References