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Soils represent a large carbon pool, approximately 1,500 Gt, which is equivalent to almost three times the quantity stored in terrestrial biomass and twice the amount stored in the atmosphere. Any modification of land-use or land management can induce variations in soil carbon stocks, even in agricultural systems that are perceived to be in a steady state. Tillage practices often induce soil aerobic conditions that are favourable to microbial activity and may lead to a degradation of soil structure. As a result, mineralization of soil organic matter increases in the long-term. The adoption of no-tillage systems and the maintenance of a permanent vegetation cover (Direct seeding Mulched based Cropping system [DMC]), may increase carbon levels in the top-soil.

In Brazil, no-tillage practices (mainly DMC), were introduced approximately 30 years ago in the south in Paraná state, primarily as a means of …