Increasing Organic Matter by Intercrops
The use of intercrops has changed over the years; their earlier function on Polish farms was to produce fodder for animals. Today, their primary function is to provide protection against wind and water erosion, as well as to enrich the soil with organic matter.
A properly composed intercrop mixture should consist of plants whose root system is either bundled or stilt, which influences soil structure: respectively, plants with a bundled system increase soil microporosity, while stilt loosens compacted soil layers.
Intercrops impede the escape of certain elements into the environment through runoff, leaching or volatilisation, as well as conserving moisture and retaining snow. Intercrops are also grown for green manure, which is the case when cover crops are selected precisely to loosen up the soil or to fertilise another crop. In general, atmospheric nitrogen-fixing legumes are grown for use as green manure and once destroyed, supply the soil with nitrogen.
The vegetation cover also contributes to soil fertility by storing atmospheric carbon through photosynthetic action. Later, when plant residues are at least partially decomposed, they provide a source of organic matter and allow the humus content of the soil to increase.
To a lesser extent, farmers use catch crops to reduce the weed infestation on arable fields. The introduction of fast-growing species allows strong competition with weed growth at a time when arable fields are most vulnerable to weed infestation. Competition for resources (light, water and nutrients in the soil) helps reduce weed biomass and seed production which avoids feeding the soil seed bank and future weed emergence. Some species also reduce weed emergence through allelopathic effects e.g.: rye, buckwheat.
Climate Farm Demo
Ongoing | 2022-2029
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Serbia