The consumption of agricultural products is increasing fast worldwide. Many agriculture scientists are engaged in inventing more productive farming techniques to meet out the global challenge. Technology is being used to design advanced agricultural equipments that are making the farming less costly and convenient both. The alternative approach to improve the annual return is to do the farming in proven new style. Farming with cover crop is a new method that is gaining popularity all around. Cover crop farming is centuries old farming practice. Recent discoveries have made this farming technique popular and more socially acceptable. Farming enthusiasts are using cover crops just because of being traditional practice but they are not much aware about specific purposes. They can not get the claimed benefits without knowing the right method of doing the farming incorporating cover crop.
Researchers worldwide have observed improved insect presence if we use cover crop in between main crops. As it is used between the main crops when the field lies empty, cover crop is known as gap crop also. It is known as green manure also because it provides nectar and pollen. Green manure belongs to pea family. These are nicknamed Leguminous. Gap crop provides very rich dose of nitrogen to field soil. These create required space for very essential insects growth. The benefits of adopting this farming method come into the farmers pocket in many ways. The main crop that is sowed after gap crop needs less chemicals and fertilizers. The practice of inter-planting cover crop with main crop is also gaining popularity. Farmers get cash crop at lesser input cost. To get acclaimed and proven benefits of cover crop, you need to plant it at right time. The season for each gap crop varies at large from one place to other. Weather and existing irrigation facilityu plays very important role in the growth of green manure.
Experienced farmers and researches emphasize upon rotation of these crops. Corn, rye, living mulch and Soybean are popular green manure crops.
Cover crop provides a protective cover at the time of fall, excessive summer or during winter season. Rye supports the water-conservation. Hairy vetch crop may be used to replace soybeans. Winter period gap crop is generally planted by aerial seeding during fall without disturbing standing main crops. Sudan grass, buckwheat and millet like non-legumes are grown to produce biomass and smooth weeds. Living mulch is used extensively with windbreaks, berries and Christmas trees etc to provide extra traction.
