Un AV/CC es...

“Una especie de planta, a menudo pero no siempre leguminosa, ya sea un árbol, arbusto, vid o planta rastrera, que un agricultor utiliza para uno o varios fines, al menos uno de los cuales es el de mantener o mejorar la fertilidad del suelo o controlar las malezas.” Roland Bunch

Los abonos verdes son los que se utilizan con el objetivo principal de mejorar la fertilidad del suelo.

Los cultivos de cobertura son aquellos cultivos que se utilizan con el objetivo principal de controlar las malezas.

Los beneficios potenciales de los AV/CC incluyen:

  • aumento de la materia orgánica del suelo a través de la producción de biomasa
  • aumento del ciclo de nutrientes
  • fijación biológica de nitrógeno (cultivos de leguminosas) que agrega nitrógeno al suelo
  • mantener o aumentar la vida del suelo cubriendo el suelo como "mantillo vivo"
    • temperatura del suelo más baja
    • ayudar a retener la humedad del suelo
  • aumentar la resiliencia del suelo
    • estructura del suelo
    • fertilidad del suelo
    • retención de la humedad
  • disminuir insumos
    • posibilidad de usar semillas disponibles localmente
    • disminución del 25-40 % en el uso de productos químicos
  • mano de obra reducida (durante el crecimiento)
  • generación de ingresos potencial
    • forraje para animales
    • comida humana (legumbres)

Las posibles desventajas incluyen

  • Resultados lentos: los beneficios de un cultivo AV/CC de primer año a menudo no se ven hasta la próxima temporada de crecimiento
  • Cuando se intercalan, puede haber competencia entre cultivos
  • A menos que un AV/CC también produzca alimentos o ingresos, no siempre se acepta fácilmente


  1. Los AVCC son cultivos de rápido crecimiento que cubren y protegen el suelo, y se dejan como mantillo o se incorporan durante el arado para enriquecer el suelo. Las legumbres son priorizadas por su capacidad para fijar nitrógeno. Pueden establecerse a partir de semillas, pero algunas echan raíces...
  2. 19/11/1987 Success Reported On Homemade Mouse Trap What We Have Learned To Date About Green Manure Crops For Small Farmers
  3. 19/1/1984 Leucaena leucocephala ("koa haole"-Hawaii; ipil ipil - Phillipines) is a fast-growing, leguminous tree that can be used for reforestation, for firewood, and as a forage crop that can equal alfalfa in nutritional value. There are three basic types of leucaena trees: Hawaiian, Salvador, and Peru....
  4. Recurso clave
    1/1/1985 Cultivos de estiércol verde son plantas que [muchas veces en Norteamérica] se cultivan para incorporar en la tierra para aumentar la fertilidad del suelo. Los estiércoles verdes leguminosos (por ej., aquellos que pueden funcionar como fertilizantes de nitrógeno con la conversión de nitrógeno...
  5. Recurso clave
    20/1/2013 About 98% of agricultural production in the Sudano Sahelian region of West and Central Africa is based on rainfed crops. With a mean annual rainfall of 300 to 800 mm/year, the number of staple crops is very limited. It includes two grain crops: pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) for sandy soils...
  6. Recurso clave
    26/5/2017 Al integrar leguminosas en los sistemas de cultivos, los pequeños productores que trabajan en contextos de bajos recursos pueden invertir en la salud y resistencia a largo plazo de sus suelos. El éxito o el fracaso depende en gran medida en escoger la(s) leguminosa(s) apropiada(s). Teniendo eso...
  7. 30/3/2017 Fabricación de ensilaje en Vichada Nota Técnica : Filtro de Agua Bioarena Del Banco de Semillas de Echo : El cacahuete forrajero Ecosde Nuestra Red: Perfil biográfico Adria y Job De Nuestro Equipo de Asesores Technicos: Cultivos forrajeros apropiados para suelos arcillosos
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    14/11/2012 La UNCCD estima que más de 250 millones de personas quedan afectadas por la degradación de terrenos, y casi mil millones de personas en más de 100 países están en peligro. Según la WMO, 33% de la superficie de la tierra es vulnerable para la degradación de terreno. En términos más regionales,...
  9. Recurso clave
    28/9/2016 Mucho del contenido a continuación se toma de publicaciones previas de ECHO que están disponibles enwww.ECHOcommunity.org. Las referencias se abrevian como AN (Notas de Asia), EAN (Notas del Este de África), EDN (Notas de Desarrollo de ECHO), y TN (Notas Técnicas). Donde es posible, enlaces de...
  10. 1/7/2011 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #10 Introduction During the late rainy season, the permanent hill fields that surround a cluster of hilltribe villages in the Chiang Dao district of northern Thailand radiate various hues of green. These verdant fields, belonging to ethnic Lisu, Lahu, Akha,...
  11. 20/1/2005 Proper crop rotation is Fundamental #1. It will beat the disease and pest cycle while promoting nutrient cycling. This is a forgotten age-old method to assure the health of future crops. It is of the utmost importance to minimize nutrient loss for long-range success. When the same plant is...
  12. 1/10/2005 La mayoría de los cultivos en los trópicos de tierras bajas se desarrollan mejor con una sombra del 10 al 15 por ciento, la cual puede ser obtenida sembrando árboles cada 10 o 15 metros en todas las direcciones. Muchos pequeños productores ya utilizan esta técnica, especialmente en el sureste de...
  13. 20/4/2014 EDN 122 resaltó las variedades multipropósito del caupí con enredaderas extendidas que cubren el suelo. A continuación presentamos una actualización de investigación de ECHO proveniente de Sudáfrica relatando nuestras experiencias a la fecha con una variedad de caupí en cultivo intercalado con...
  14. 30/4/2015 Recientemente conocimos de correspondencia entre varios miembros de la red sobre el tema de Agricultura de Conservación (AC) en áreas lluviosas. La información parecía ser potencialmente útil para otros miembros de la red de ECHO de manera que la compartimos aquí.
  15. 20/1/2005 Cover cropping is Fundamental #7. It is the technique of growing plants that protect the soil to conserve topsoil and moisture. It can be considered a living mulch. Under sowing legumes below existing crops and other companion plants will work well. You get all the advantages of mulching; soil...
  16. 20/1/2002 The conventional view of the relationship between soil nutrients and crop productivity in the tropics is leading to both damaging agricultural policies and inefficient and damaging farm-level practices. There is no need to use the huge quantities of chemical fertilizers that are so often...
  17. Este documento distingue entre cultivos de cobertura de “ancla” (que se intercalan con un cultivo principal como el maíz) y cultivos de cobertura secundarios (que no compiten con el cultivo principal porque tienen un ciclo de vida corto y pueden ayudar a cubrir el suelo al inicio de la temporada...
  18. 20/4/2013 El artículo por Dov Pasternak sobre lablab (en este número) me recordó el material en los archivos de ECHO de hace varios años. Reimar von Schaaffhausen, trabajando en São Paulo, Brasil, envió artículos y cartas a lo largo de los años sobre el valioso papel que el lablab (y el frijol gandul...
  19. 8/4/2016 Un informe de Roland Bunch referente a sus esfuerzos para promover abonos verdes y cultivos de cobertura en África.
  20. 20/4/2004 Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) is one of the top five most commonly grown green manure/cover crops in the world.
  21. 20/1/2005 Green fertilizer is Fundamental #5. It feeds the next crop efficiently. As you plow crop residue into the soil it will eventually become humus and fertilizer for following crops. It is a form of composting, in which materials do not need to be transported to a mixing/composting site. You could...
  22. This green manure cover crop selection tool is an interactive way to discover which varieties are appropriate for your unique situation. By changing the conditions and requirements a prioritized list of potentially appropriate crops is generated. Each of these plants can be sourced through the...
  23. Session:The major factor in the increase in droughts across Africa has been caused mostly by the gradual death of fallowing, and the resulting decrease in rainwater infiltration from about 60% down to 20% in most areas. GM/CCs are the only feasible way to save Africa from the rapidly increasing...
  24. Recurso clave 21/5/2019 Now available through Amazon as well as the ECHO Bookstore Smallholder farmers around the world face some of the harshest growing conditions globally, yet they produce the majority of the world’s food. Soils in these areas often lack nutrient and water holding capacities, due to erosion or poor...
  25. This group pageexists so that individuals involved in GMCCaround the world can connect. We encourage you to share the challenges you face in your GMCCendeavors, discuss lessons and techniques learned through your experiences, and share your story!
  26. 27/10/2014 The following photos were all taken in the fields or homes of practicing farmers in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Benin, Cameroon, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia
  27. 19/1/2017 Dr. Motispresented an overview of the use of tropical legumes as green manure/cover crops. Drawing on findings from ECHO research, this talk will cover 1) benefits of legumes, 2) basic characteristics and growth requirements of some commonly grown legumes, and 3) ways to integrate these into...
  28. 8/2/2017 Cover crops play a key role in sustainable agriculture by providing sustainable sources of nutrients as well as protective soil cover to minimize erosion and reduce moisture stresses. Examples of successful cover cropping systems in East Africa will be illustrated as well as constraints and...
  29. 7/2/2017 Pigeon pea is an important green manure/cover crop with multiple agronomic and market impacts for small farmers, and fits ideally in a conservation agriculture system. Kilimo Markets integrates value chains through enhancing production, inputs supply chains especially seed for which it is...
  30. 8/2/2017 Dolichos lablab is an under estimated crop which recently is finding its niche Presenter :Wilfred L Mariki is a retired Principal Agricultural Research Officer, from Selian Agricultural Research Institute who pioneered a country program to introduce CA in Tanzania 1999 – 2011, under FAO-UN. He...
  31. 7/2/2017 Pigeon pea is an important green manure/cover crop with multiple agronomic and market impacts for small farmers, and fits ideally in a conservation agriculture system. Presenter : Said Silim has recently retired from a distinguished career in international development from ICRISAT, and helped to...
  32. This group page exists so that individuals involved in GMCC around the world can connect. We encourage you to share the challenges you face in your GMCC endeavors, discuss lessons and techniques learned through your experiences, and share your story!
  33. AccessAgriculture Training Video En la sabana costera de África Occidental, los agricultores explican cómo un cultivo de cobertura de mucuna les ayuda a revivir su suelo altamente degradado, y suprime las malezas nocivas estriga e Imperata. Muestran cómo producirlo para beneficiar a su maíz y...
  34. The Tropical Forages websiteis a collaborative effort between CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (Qld), Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The website is designed to enable...
  35. Abstract,Agronomía Mesoamericana, 2017 El objetivo de este trabajo fue realizar un diagnóstico sobre el conocimiento que tienen agricultores de papaya, palma aceitera y banano de Costa Rica, sobre coberturas vivas y la disposición a implementarlas. Se construyó un instrumento de evaluación que...
  36. 23/5/2017 This presentation on Gree Manure Cover Cropsseeks to answer the question: How do we achieve all of these objectives (profitability, practically, resiliency, reduced reliance on fossil-fuels, sustainability) when land is limited/degraded, inputs are unavailable or unattainable, labor is scarce,...
  37. Session :Green manure/cover crops are the only feasible way for smallholder farmers to significantly increase the organic matter content of their basic grain fields (that is, anything over 0.5 ha) at a reasonable cost. We can now say that we know of good species and systems that will work in...
  38. 19/11/2019 Session :Green manure/cover crops are the only feasible way for smallholder farmers to significantly increase the organic matter content of their basic grain fields (that is, anything over 0.5 ha) at a reasonable cost. We can now say that we know of good species and systems that will work in...
  39. Ed : While not dealing specifically with tropical crops, some of the management situations discussed can be adapted for consideration in other contexts. Farmers around the country (US) are planting cover crops on millions of acres to protect and improve the soil, and the more that farmers use...
  40. Session:By using green manure/cover crops, rural families can make sure theyhave enough calories, with or without droughts. By growing ediblegm/ccs (nearly all of which are leguminous, they can get enough proteins.By drying and storing the leaves of lablab beans or cowpeas, they can add to their...
  41. 26/11/2019 Session:By using green manure/cover crops, rural families can make sure theyhave enough calories, with or without droughts. By growing ediblegm/ccs (nearly all of which are leguminous, they can get enough proteins.By drying and storing the leaves of lablab beans or cowpeas, they can add to their...
  42. 26/11/2019 Session: Permanent ground cover is one of the fundamental principles of conservation agriculture. This coverage can be achieved by keeping crop residues on the ground, but if the time between harvest and installation of the next crop is large, it may be necessary to install other cover plants...
  43. 19/12/1992 Erosion saves work Industrious insects Playing with family labour Fossil energy Green manures Cover crops Ecological agriculture
  44. 19/5/1987 Integrated nutrient supply Improved fallow Nitrogen transfer from legumes Cover crops on acid soils Sunnhemp Rock phosphate Micro-nutrient drain Soil conservation and shifting cultivators Cycles of poverty
  45. 20/6/2008 Optimising nutrient cycles with trees in pasture fields Talking soil science with farmers Soil quality fand farm profitability Cover crops do it all Green manures Micro-organisms Feeding and watering the soil to increase food production Soil rehabilitation starts with more efficient cookstoves...
  46. 20/3/2005 Energy use in agriculture Planting to catch more sunlight Biodigesters in ecological farming systems Biogas in Uganda Improving organic fertilizers Saving energy with better tools Biogas production with guinea pig manure Improving traditional water mills Clean energy for chilling milk Passive...
  47. Patrick J Trail,Tim N MotisandAbram J Bicksler Journal of Agricultural Studies, 2019, vol. 7, issue 1, 103-114 Abstract:While maintaining adequate levels of soil fertility can be a challenge on any farm, maintaining those levels on the resource-limited smallholder farms of the tropics requires...
  48. 3/2/2015
  49. 20/12/2003 Little bugs, big problems Nitrogen fixation on a national scale From soil erosion to soil quality Healing the earth - an Ethiopian story Understanding traditional terracin Adoption of green manure and cover crops Kick-starting legumes Bioremediation: decontaminating polluted soils Using weed to...
  50. 19/10/1997 Rebuilding lost soil fertility A tool for quantitative farm analysis Intensification of swidden agriculture in the Philippines Poor soils need organic matter Indigenous green manure in Nepal New Kekulam Recycling household waste in Egypt Biomass transfer
  51. 19/10/1995 The living mulch of Nepal Unexpected source of income - Niger Aggressive colonizers Initiatives to combat savannization and land degradation in Ghana Soil conservation and weed control Green manures - Brazil Cover crops - Honduras Weed management - trees- Kenya Labor issues - India The yield of...