Impact of Cover Crops Soil Organic Carbon and...

Impact of Cover Crops Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen

Author Name : Satyajit Panda, Nibedan Mandal, Betina Tejaswini Urmila, Kothakapu Dwarakamai, Kamarudheen Parambat

ABSTRACT Growing of cover crops is a promising economical agricultural strategy. Cover cropping has received attention as a farming practice with intends to ameliorate the various physical and chemical properties of the soil. Replacing the winter fallows with cover crops could provide for soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration, safeguard soil resources and therefore mitigate climate changes. Cover crops can improve soil accumulation and C and N pools in entire soil and totals. Long-term implementation of cover crops has the potential to increase soil organic carbon, negate the detrimental effects of crop residue removal and improve soil water dynamics. Living cover crops can also diminish gaseous losses of N as N2, NO, and N2O, from soil. A blend of legume and non-legume cover crops might be expected to improve soil aggregation and enhance both C and N storage in the soil. Despite the few limitations, growing cover crops can prove to be economical in the long term. Overcoming ensuing crop establishment issues and advancement of frameworks that will diminish the expenses of cover crop establishment will encourage cover crop usage and improve soil and water quality. Hence it becomes important to understand the various effects of cover crops on the soil properties for continued production of food and fiber.