In general, farming systems have contributed to highly unstable conditions in agroecosystems, resulting in severe environmental degradation. The present study aims to verify the potential of green manure use in the São Carlos region (SP), as a complementary technique to cropping systems present in the region under investigation, with the objective of improving the quality of its agroecosystems. The region was delimited based on its climate, geomorphology and administrative characteristics, obtained from basic maps and handled through a Geographic Information System. The agroecological planning unit of the São Carlos region is composed of Analândia, Itirapina, Santa Maria da Serra, São Carlos, São Pedro and Torrinha counties. The climate and soils of the region were described with the soils grouped according to their fertilities and textures. A map was produced with the Edaphic zones of this area, identifying mainly sandy and alic classes. A listing was made of green manure plant species having ecophisiology compatible with the local edaphoclimate characteristics and these species were grouped into three classes: demanding, rustic and very rustic. Finally, a map was produced with the cultivation zones of each group of species. It can be concluded that green manure is a technique with great potential for improving the quality of the agroecosystem of the studied area.
Agroecosystem; Geographic Information System; green manure