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| Green Manuring | | | Ravneet Kour & Rakesh Kumar
Green manuring is the practice of enriching the soil by turning under undecomposed plant material either in place or brought from a distance . A cover crop is one planted for the purpose of covering and protecting the ground during winter. The land's nutrient status becomes depleted after years of cropping cereals and vegetables with no addition of adequate quantity of manures. The quality of the soil is deteriorating under monoculture cropping. Therefore, green manuring is the best option for retaining fertility and productivity.
Green manuring is the ploughing under the soil or incorporation of any green manure crops while they are green or soon after they start flowering. Green manures are forage or leguminous crops that are grown for their leafy materials needed for soil nutrient conservation. The value of green manuring lies in the fact that organic matter is incorporated into the soil. The organic matter is associated with soil nitrogen and its decay influences the availability of the soil nutrient
Green manures may be classed under main four types a) main crops b) companion crops c) catch crops d) winter cover crops
Main crop: A green manure crop is grown exclusively for the whole season as a main crop and not for any other purpose.
Companion crops: Such a crop is subsidiary to the grain crop and is a companion crop. It costs farmer nothing but the seed and a small labour of sowing. Sweet clover handled as companion crop is extremely valueable as a green manure crop.
Catch crop: Crops that have a brief period of growth and are worked in after a main crop has been taken off or between two main crops.
Winter cover crop: A cover crop is one planted for the purpose of covering and protecting the ground during winter.
On farm green manure : Biomass from the farm can be generated from legumes or non-legume trees that are grown along the boundaries of the farm and along the main bunds of the fields. While preparing main fields for the next crop, the foliage from these trees will be lopped and chopped into small pieces and then incorporated by hoeing in the fields. The trees that can be grown for this purpose are: a)Azadirachta indica b) Pongamia pinnata c) Glyricidia sps. d) Thespesia populina e) Cassia seamia. Some shrubs grown along fences or pathways can be used for green manure.
Off farm green manure: To get off farm manure ,the foliages of the shrub and herb type of weeds that are grown along the roadsides and riversides are harvested and brought in the field for use.
The non legumes provides a large amount of material but the bacteria responsible for the decay of this material must have access to N. If the N carried in green manure crop is not sufficient the bacteria will depend upon soil bacteria and the newly grown crop will show deficiency symptoms for sometime. Legume green manuring: Almost any crop can be used for green manuring but legumes are prefered because of their ability to fix nitrogen from the air. Peas, lentils clovers are used for green manuring.
Characteristics of green manure crops
1) It should be fast growing. 2) Produce abundant and succulent shoots. 3) Well adapted to local conditions. 4) Could use water efficiently.
Advantages of green manuring
1)Improves the soil fertility 2)Adds nutrients and organic matter 3)Improves the soil structure 4)Improves soil aeration 5)Increases the water holding capacity of the soil diseases 6) Helps control the soil born insects and mites (neem,vitex etc.), nematodes (marigold) and diseases (crucifers).7) Conserves and recycles plant nutrients.8) Promotes habitat for natural enemies, microbes, and earthworms. |
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