In the previous article, animal manure and its benefits were discussed. This article focuses on green manure and cover crops and their importance to crop production.
Instead of being harvested, a cover crop is grown to provide vegetative cover for the soil and then is either killed and left on the surface as a mulch or tilled into the soil as a green manure.
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Definition of Green Manure in Soil Management
These are plant materials incorporated with the soil while green or immediately after maturity for improving the soil.
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Definition of Cover Crops in Farming
This is a close-growing crop grown solely for the purpose of protecting and improving soil between periods of regular crop production or between trees in orchards.
Benefits of Green Manure and Cover Crops in Crop Production
Growing a cover crop provides numerous benefits compared to leaving the soil bare for the off-season. Their benefits include:
- Increases the available nitrogen in the soil
- Enhances moisture retention
- Improves soil structure
- Increases soil organic matter
- Raises soil pH and buffering capacity
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