Organic farming with green manure

Organic farming with green manure

green manure: Green undecomposed material used as manure is called green manure. Here crops are grown within a rotation for the purposes of building soil organic matter and soil structure. Plants that are used for green manure are known as green manure crops such as  Sesbania rostrata, Cowpea, Crotalaria juncea, Cluster bean, and Sesbania aculeata.

green manure

Products used for green manure

This includes legumes such as vetch, clover, beans, and peas, also grass such as annual ryegrass, oats, rapeseed, winter wheat, and winter rye, buckwheat.

advantages

  1. Improves soil structure
  2. Increases water holding capacity and
  3. Decreases soil loss by erosion
  4. Growing of green crops in the off season reduces weed growth.
  5. Green manuring helps in reclamation of alkaline soils

Difference between manure and green manure

ManureGreen manure
 composed of animal wastes, their bones, and dungshere crops are grown and later they are plowed and converted
It improves soil texture, its water holding capacity, and aerationIt increases the nitrogen and phosphorus content in the soil.

Green leaf manure

Green leaves and twigs of trees, shrubs, and herbs collected from elsewhere are known as green leaf manuring, tree leaves are the main sources for green leaf manure, the main source is like plants growing in the wasteland, there are few plants which are used for green leaf manure like a shrub, wild indigo, etc. In simple words, we can say that Green leaf manures are organic manures made from leaves collected from all available sources and used to supply essential plant nutrients to the soil and increase soil fertility in a healthy manner.

Green manure is always essential for the growth of crops, it puts humans to the soil

We can say that cover crops are also known as green manure, they are planted to improve soil structure, suppress the growth of weeds, and protect the soil from erosion caused by wind and water. Cover crops are also attracting insects which help to reduce the need for chemical fertilizer.

Buy manure

Types of green manure

1. Legumes

plants with roots that mix and work with the bacteria in the soil to trap nitrogen from the atmosphere, this process is further aided by an inoculant or treatment medium that helps the legumes work.

2. Nonlegumes

These include ryegrass, phacelia, turnips, rye, chicory, oats, barley, mustard, and buckwheat. 

Types of manure crops

  • Nitrogen-fixing crops
  • Cover crops
  • Break crops
  • Nutrient conserving crop
  • Smother crops

Disadvantage

  • Slugs and Snails
  • Consumes Time
  • Pests and Diseases
  • cost
  • rotation limit

So, in conclusion, we can say that green manure is the future where we can do farming organically in a better way. Nowadays people are also interested in farming. Hope this article makes a sought of changes in anyone and turns into for farming.

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