Papers - This working paper describes the introduction of conservation agriculture in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China by two FAO projects. The technical components, design and results of the projects are summarized. This publication is addressed to readers with a background or an interest in agriculture or those with a developmentrelated professional background.

Technical guidelines - This publication describes how pasture, fodder and livestock production have been integrated into conservation agriculture systems in Brazil’s tropical zones. Vast areas of forest have been cleared in the tropical areas of Brazil for establishment of pastures that become unproductive once the native fertility of the soil is exhausted; this leads to yet more forest clearing.Integrated crop–livestock zero tillage systems allow for the sustainable production of high-yielding pasture without further deforestation; in this system, grazing livestock convert both pastures and crop residues into cash. The ability of pasture to build up the fertility and biological activity of the topsoil is well known. The economics of the system are discussed and...

Publications - This book is a much-expanded and updated edition of a previous volume, published in 1996 as ‘No-tillage Seeding: Science and  Practice’. The base objective remains to describe in lay terms, a range of international experiments designed to examine the causes of successes and failures in no-tillage. It summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of no-tillage in general, but takes the view that the case for widespread adoption of no-tillage has already been made by others. The authors have been involved in designing new equipment, but the new edition is notless promotional of any particular product but does highlight the pros and cons of a range of features...

Technical guidelines - Conservation agriculture holds special promise for Africa, where farming communities face the problems of low yields, impoverished soils, lack of capital, and labour shortages brought on by the scourge of AIDS. It is a way to improve the livelihoods of millions of people and achieve sustainable agriculture over a wide area. Conservation agriculture is not a technology, but an approach to farming. It is based on three simple principles: * Disturb the soil as little as possible,* Keep the soil covered, and* Mix and rotate crops. Farmers can choose from many different technologies to do this. By applying theseprinciples, they can improve their...