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Cover crops and green manures have multiple positive effects on the soil health. But like all methods, this best practice has also some disadvantages.

In this video from Best4Soil, both sides are presented to allow practitioners to make their decisions based on a sound basis.

 

Download a factsheet below.

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Soil is an essential natural resource for all farmers. Over recent years many initiatives have sought to provide information and advice on soils and Soil Health, notably AHDB Great Soils. 

Tell us how you are improving your soils. Share useful resources, organisations and initiatives.

The intricate web of relationships between physical, chemical and biological soil components underpins crop and livestock health and productivity.

Diseases infect susceptible plant hosts, where environmental conditions favor disease development. Infected crops achieve lower yields and the quality of the produce can also be affected.

There is a lot of interest in soil carbon currently, due to the opportunity to store and sequester carbon in soil. It is also vital for soil health, forming part of soil organic matter.

Cover crops are grown primarily to ‘protect or improve’ soils between periods of regular crop production. They can be effective at improving soil functions by increasing soil nutrient and water retention, improving soil structure/quality, reducing the risk of soil erosion, surface run-off and diffuse pollution by providing soil cover and by managing weeds or soil-borne pests.