JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2536-7072
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/JASP
Start Year: 2016
Email: jasp@integrityresjournals.org
A review of the potentials of cover crops and ways in which they can enhance cereal crop productivity
https://doi.org/10.31248/JASP2024.454 | Article Number: F3912FA61 | Vol.9 (2) - April 2024
Received Date: 12 February 2024 | Accepted Date: 08 March 2024 | Published Date: 30 April 2024
Authors: Rehema Chitara* , Andekelile Mwamahonje , Julius Missanga , Peter Ngowi and Cornel Massawe
Keywords: Soil fertility, cereal crops, Allelopathy, intercropping, leguminous cover crops, weed infestation.
Sole cropping of cereals for consecutive cropping seasons exhausts soil nutrients more excessively compared to other cropping systems. The use of leguminous cover crops in cereal crop production in an intercropping manner is important for controlling weeds and improving soil properties to enhance soil fertility, soil moisture retention, and manage pests to increase crop yield. Weed infestation has been a threat to crop production for decades which costs farm operations hence reducing the output. Integrating leguminous cover crops with cereal crops and crop allelopathy have been reviewed as strategies to suppress weeds, and some types of pests, and improve soil structure and soil fertility by nitrogen fixation which boosts crop productivity. In addition, legumes have a direct impact on improving soil fertility from the decomposition of soil organic matter and circulating nutrients for cereal growth. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss the potential of cover crops in cereal crop production.
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