Cover Cropping with California Ag Solutions
Cover Crop Benefits:
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Increase water holding capacity
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Improve water infiltration
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Reduce herbicide use
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Diversify and increase microbiology
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Attract beneficial insects and microbes
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Reduce soil compaction
Cover Crops introduce new and diverse microbes to the soil that make nutrients more available and easier for plant uptake. Microbes from cover crops help aggregate soil to improve overall health.
Cover crops increase organic matter in the soil. The higher the organic matter, the greater the holding capacity becomes.
Thus conserving moisture, and helping avoid run off. Cover Crop root systems create pathways for faster water infiltration to avoid excess surface water and can relieve compaction, improving overall soil structure. Having your soil covered at all times helps to reduce wind and water erosion of the top layer.
Cover crops can suppress weeds by creating a canopy to block light interception, greatly reducing weed chlorophyll production. Attracting beneficial insects with Cover Crops can reduce pest pressure.
Types of Cover Crops
Brassicas
Brassicas act as biofumigants, aiding
in suppressing soil pests, pathogens, and
root parasites.
Broadleaves
Broadleaves attract a wide variety of pollinating insects and have quick and vigorous growth.
Grasses
Grasses are great scavengers. They are very effective in utilizing nutrients left over from the previous crop. Grasses establish rapidly and tend to have an extensive root system.
Legumes
Aid in fixating Nitrogen from the atmosphere and adding it to the soil.