Cover crops are annual grasses, legumes, mustards, and crops from other plant families that are included in the farming system and are not harvested for food or fiber. Instead, cover crops provide a number of ecological and biological benefits, including the improvement of soil physical properties, an increase in plant available soil nitrogen, a suppression of pests including weeds and soilborne disease and nematodes, and a habitat and food source for beneficial insects and pollinators. Often, seed from cover crops is harvested and used the following season, or sale of seed can provide additional income. More recently, some cover crop species are being considered for use as an energy crop.
The beneficial services provided by cover crops are very important in organic farming systems because they can help to offset the cost and quantity of fertilizer and pesticide inputs. Many successful organic farming systems rely entirely on cover crops and carefully designed rotations to provide nutrients and manage pests. For more information see Introduction to Cover Cropping in Organic Farming Systems.
