Cover Cropping & Green Manures — FarmPal
Growing plants specifically to protect and improve soil between cash crops, or as living mulch alongside production.
Time to Results
Immediate erosion protection; 2-3 years for soil structure improvements
Key Principles
- •Bare soil is damaged soil erosion, compaction, and biology loss
- •Living roots feed soil microbes year-round
- •Diverse cover crop mixes feed diverse soil biology
- •Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen for subsequent crops
- •Deep-rooted covers break compaction and mine subsoil nutrients
Implementation
Planning
Before planting season
- • Identify windows between cash crops
- • Select cover crop species based on goals and timing
- • Source quality seed (inoculate legumes)
Establishment
1-2 weeks
- • Seed into adequate moisture or irrigate after seeding
- • Broadcast and incorporate lightly, or drill
- • Overseed into standing cash crops where possible
Management & Termination
Variable
- • Allow adequate growth before termination
- • Terminate legumes at 10-50% bloom for maximum N fixation
- • Use mowing, roller-crimper, grazing, or winter-kill
Benefits
- •Nitrogen fixation (40-200 lbs/acre from legumes)
- •Erosion prevention and soil structure improvement
- •Weed suppression through competition and mulching
- •Pest and disease cycle disruption
- •Organic matter addition when terminated
How to Measure
Biomass produced (lbs/acre)
Percent ground cover achieved
Nitrogen fixed (estimate from legume percentage)
Weed suppression in following crop
Soil organic matter changes over time