In the Mexican tropics, farmers use mainly the traditional roza-tumba-quema, or slash, fell and burn (S-F-B) farming system. This system has been the subject of criticism because of the severe degradation it has caused. To reduce its environmental impact, in the Tulijá Valley in Mexico, farmers are using the maize (Zea mays L.)-mucuna (Mucuna deeringianum Bort.) agroecosystem. This article analyzes the effects of this agroecosystem on soil properties, weed dynamics and maize yield in traditional farming systems in the Tulijá Valley in Mexico, in the autumn-winter (November-April) seasonal cycle. A completely random design was set up with three replicates, in five-year periods to find out the effect of mucuna on the ecological production relationships and compare it with its not being used. As a result, it was observed that as the period of use of mucuna increased, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium concentrations in the soil also increased, mainly in the surface layer of the soil (0-0.15 cm). There was a relative decrease in the number of species, of individuals and of families the longer mucuna was used. Grain yield was observed to be statistically lower in the system without rotation with mucuna (1.99±0.26 t ha‑1) and highest in the system with mucuna for 15 years (5.72±0.51 t ha-1). In conclusion, the maize-mucuna agroecosystem increases and maintains agroecological sustainability of soils over time and favors production of maize.