Are cover crops beneficial?
Yes! Cover crops have many benefits: Cover crops increase the organic matter in soil. Organic matter is the part of the soil that is composed of anything that once lived. It is very beneficial to the soil and the subsequent crop. Organic matter improves the condition of the soil by: • improving soil tilth – the physical condition of the soil as it relates to ease of tillage, seedbed quality, ease of seedling emergence, and deep root penetration. improving the stability of soil aggregates. Soil aggregates are groups of soil particles that bind to each other more strongly than to adjacent particles. Aggregate stability is the ability of soil aggregates to resist disturbance from outside forces (usually water).improving the rate of water infiltration. Infiltration is the process of water entering the soil. Soil that is in good condition has a stable structure and continuous pores to the surface. This allows water from rainfall to flow unobstructed through the soil during a rainfall event.
