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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cover crop

“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

He began growing the grain as cover crop seed in 1994, partially because his property is considered “highly erodible land.”

From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2024

The study found that rye, the most frequently used cover crop, is especially prone to reducing yields, Lobell said.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

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

From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 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 M. C. Burritt

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