DMC is based on how a forest functions. Litter, made up of leaves and branches, protects the soil from erosion. It regulates variations in temperature and humidity. In this way, litter helps develop and maintain the soil's biological activity. Gradually decomposes into minerals and humus. Trees are able to absorb minerals from the soil via their deep and complex root systems and recycle them in their aerial parts. DMC functions in the same way. It is based on three interlinked principles. The soil is permanently protected by a cover crop. The soil is never tilled, not even superficially. A wide biodiversity of cultivated crops is maintained in rotation, succession and association. The objective is to constantly produce a large amount of biomass in order to cover the soil and make the cropping systems sustainable. In DMC seeds are sewn directly into untilled soil with a cover crop. However, in conventional systems, the soil is tilled. It is stripped bare before sewing. Therefore, cover cropping systems help protect soils against erosion, improve water use by limiting loss through evaporation and runoff, manage weeds and pests organically. Avoid problems of water pollution from chemical inputs. Lastly, restore the soil's biological activity, the true motor of DMC cropping systems.