The zapopano corn system originated in the 1960s with a government program called Plan Jalisco which had the intention of raising the yield of corn. For this, before the harvest the corn plant was cut, then it was doubled over so that later the harvest could be done by hand. When the weeds present at this time began to flower, they were incorporated with machinery, permitting the decomposition of the weeds in the soil and incorporating the organic matter. It is very common in this region that some rains occur in the months of December and January, called "cabañuelas", which allowed the soil to conserve this moisture due to its content of organic matter. In addition this moisture was trapped with a light cultivation. With the use of new technologies that the producers have adopteded (principally the use of herbicides, fertilizers, and mechanical harvesting) the traditional practices were discarded. This contibuted to raising the cost of production, contamination of the environment, and reduction in the amount of organic material and the fertility of the soil. Due to the loss of price supports that had been given by the government, which had kept them above international prices, corn production no longer was profitable. The latter bound the farmer to recover traditional practices in order to reduce the cost of inputs. The government has implemented programs to recover the fertililty of the soil through the use of compost developed from waste and vermicompost, organic fertilizer, and in some cases biofertilizers. Also, the use of biological control of insects such as Trichrograma and Crisoperla.

The most important aspects of this agroecosystem are: first, that the farmer did not believe that his production was sustainable by using expensive inputs to raise yields. The average yield when this agroecosystem study began was was 1200 kl/ha. With traditional management systems the yield was raised to 2200kl/ha. With the use of conventional technologies an average yield was between 1300 y 1500 kl/ha. With this type of production it was not possible to make earnings due to the fact that the costs of inputs fluctuate (there is no set price). There were farmers who obtained yields above 6000 kl/ha in the conventional system but they are not represenative of the majority. It is it the farmers who convinced themselves that they needed to reduce the costs of production and to make sustainable their main acitivity which is farming. The high levels of pesticides and fertilizers of which they apply upwards of 240 kl of nitrogen,120 kl of phosphorus, and in same cases 60 kl of potassium, caused problems with acidity and soil contamination. To recover agroecological practices in the production of corn in this region would help us to reach a sustainable agriculture.

Use Renewable Resources

The use of organic fertilizer and compost are sources of renewable energy that promote the fixation of nitrogen in a natural form, in place of synthetic inputs. Besides that on many occasions they are recycled on the farm.

Minimize Toxics

The use of fewer chemical products minimizes the toxicity in the soil, the environment, and in plants.

Conserve Resources

Adequately manage soil and water resources by the use of organic material, a readily available input.

Manage Ecological Relationships

A key aspect that has helped in the implementation of agroecological practices is the reduction in costs of production, which helps the farmers get a greater profit from the agroecosystem. This is done by the release of beneficical insects such as trichograma to control cogollero y crisoperla to control rizofagas.

Value Health

For the future it is necessary and must be a permanenet obligation of the famers to care for and reduce risks in the health of people, animals, and the environment, and to achieve sustainable development in the region.