| Since the 1970s, when Brazilian farmers started to practice no-till in the state of Parana, this form of cultivation has spread rapidly throughout the country. It currently accounts for approximately 26 million ha, or more than 40 percent of the total national area under seasonal crops (FEBRAPDP, 2008). The rapid expansion of no-till across states, which are the main producers of soybean and maize (Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul in the Southern region and Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul in the Central-Western region of the country), has meant that Brazil has become one of the world’s leaders in no -till practice, approaching that of the acreage in the United States of America in 2005/2006. |
