Cajete Terrace agroecosystems have been in place for three thousand years in hillside regions in Tlaxcala, Mexico. These rainfed Corn-Bean-Squash agroecosystems must survive several adverse conditions to be successful; food is grown on steep erosion prone slopes and rainfall is concentrated between May and September and often occurs in sudden downpours. Archaeological evidence shows that settlements in the Tlaxcala area used sloping terraces to slow runoff from rainfall and prevent soil erosion. Sloping terraces feed excess water into tanks (cajetes) which are storage catches for water which would not otherwise be absorbed into the soil. Water collected inside cajetes slowly percolates into the surrounding soils after the rain has ended. Eroded soils are also trapped inside of the cajetes, preventing soil loss down the slope. Nutrient rich soils inside of the cajetes are later gathered and distributed into the fields. 

The success of the cajete/terrace complex can be judged primarily by its longevity, but the use and maintenance of the cajetes has been gradually declining. Farmers attribute this decline to the rising cost of labor, but there are also socioeconomic factors. Many of the farmer's children have left the rural farm for higher paying jobs thus leaving the cajetes in disrepair. Success in the traditional system can also be seen in the problems that are found in government modernization projects in the Tlaxcala region. Increased incidence of erosion are evident in traditional farming where tractors have entered the fields, filled in the cajetes, and disrupted the complicated canal system which maintained the water runoff. Tractors are not solely to be blamed for examples such as this, but rather the attempt to modernize or improve farming practices without looking at existing well established practices first. 

Conserve Resources

The cajete/terrace complex slows the rate of intense rainfall runoff which often comes in bursts, thereby minimizing erosion while conserving water. After rainfall events, the cajete enables captured water to slowly percolate into the fields making for an efficient irrigation system.

Manage Ecological Relationships

Cajetes trap concentrated nutrients and soils eroded from fields and leaf litter from border plants are trapped in cajetes as well, producing compost pits that are periodically emptied and to recycle nutrients back to the fields.

Diversify

By creating cajetes along hillslopes, landscapes are diversified in a form of contour tillage.

Empower People

Evidence of canals in association with terraces dating back to 1000 B.C. shows that indigenous knowledge has evolved into a sophisticated system of water and soil management which does not degrade the agroecosystem.

Manage Whole Systems

By building cajetes within agroecosystems, the hydrology of landscapes is modified to conserve soil and water, enhancing nutrient cycling and water availability for crops. 

Mountjoy, D.C., and S.R. Gliessman. 1988. Traditional management of a hillside agroecosystem in Tlaxcala, Mexico: An ecologically based maintenance system. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture. 3:-10.