Tillage accelerates organic matter destruction under tropical agriculture conditions. No-till cropping systems involving direct seeding on permanent plant cover enable short-term soil restoration. Cover plant choices are crucial. Soil carbon can thus be boosted to levels generally found in natural ecosystems, even when starting from degraded soils. Direct seeding systems promote net CO2 storage rather than net production. CIRAD has been working on such systems in Brazil, Asia, Réunion and Madagascar. This poster reports some results obtained in central-western Brazil (hot humid tropical area).