By Brenda Tubana
LSU AgCenter
Intense crop production has created concerns about soil health and environmental sustainability. The use of cover crops during fallow periods when main crops aren’t planted offers protection for the soil surface from the impact of rainfall, preventing destruction of soil structure. This in turn reduces water runoff and erosion. In addition, the decomposition of cover-crop biomass releases nutrients back to the soil, diversifies soil microbial community and, in the long term, builds up soil organic matter. These all collectively improve soil health and minimize nutrient loss to the environment, along with better control of weeds and diseases and increased availability of water in the soil.