Green manure

Common card · No. 425642

In agriculture, a green manure is a crop specifically cultivated to be incorporated into the soil while still green. Typically, the green manure's biomass is incorporated with a plow or disk, as is often done with (brown) manure. The primary goal is to add organic matter to the soil for its benefits. Green manuring is often used with legume crops to add nitrogen to the soil for following crops, especially in organic farming, but is also used in conventional farming. Green manures do several jobs at once. Legumes such as clover and vetch have bacteria in their roots that turn nitrogen from the air into a form plants can use, which acts as a natural fertilizer for the next crop. As the plant material breaks down, it also releases other nutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. Some deep-rooted species bring up nutrients that shallower-rooted crops cannot reach. The added organic matter improves soil structure, so the soil holds water better, drains well and is easier to work....

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