cover crop

American  

noun

1. a crop, usually a legume, planted to keep nutrients from leaching, soil from eroding, and land from weeding over, as during the winter.

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cover crop British  

noun

1. a crop planted between main crops to prevent leaching or soil erosion or to provide green manure

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Etymology

Origin of cover crop

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

“We want to rely on natural chemicals in the soil, like from our cover crop, which jump-starts that natural nutrient capacity of the soil.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

In other areas of the state, they are grown primarily as a cover crop, a plant grown to control weeds and promote soil health.

From Salon • May 14, 2025

Swiss-headquartered agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta began offering a cover crop seed mixture in Spain this year.

From Reuters • Sep. 14, 2023

Brandt also touted cover crops and other sustainable farming practices, and ran a cover crop seed company and a seed-cleaning business on his 736-acre farm in Carroll, Ohio.

From Seattle Times • May 23, 2023

Buckwheat is probably about equally as good as rye for an orchard cover crop, although it does not produce quite as much organic matter.

From Apple Growing by Burritt, M. C.