Cultivating cover crops to store carbon and support nitrogen recycling for next crop

This practice abstract presents the cultivation of cover crops as a strategy to improve soil fertility, increase carbon storage and recycle nutrients for subsequent crops.

Sown between two main crops, cover crops contribute to soil carbon sequestration, improve soil structure and fertility, and recycle essential nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Within ClieNFarms, biomass production is assessed using the MERCI method, enabling farmers to estimate nutrient returns and optimise fertilisation strategies.

By improving nitrogen recycling and reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers, cover crops can enhance agronomic performance while contributing to climate change mitigation. Additional benefits include increased soil albedo and improved environmental protection.