How does a cover crop create nutrients out of thin air?
Image by chesbayprogram
Cover crops on a farm field with a red barn in the background at Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary
Question by FORMER Atheist Now Praising FSM!: How does a cover crop create nutrients out of thin air?
I’m having difficulty understanding how a cover crop adds nutrients to a soil when any plant growing in any given soil is ostensibly taking nutrients OUT in order to grow.
Against the background of the law of conservation of matter, how does a cover crop do anything more than merely cycle what is already present?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_matter
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3 Responses to How does a cover crop create nutrients out of thin air?
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ok most so called cover crops dont create nutrients, its simply that in the same way humans use oxygyn and release co2 most cover crops simply use other nutrients and release nitrogyn. Nitrgyn is used by the other vegitable plants. So its not really creating nutrients out of thin air, Its that one plant uses say sulfer in the case of onions and another gives sulfer as a by product. Hope that helps
Mark D
June 7, 2011 at 5:50 pm
If the cover crop is a legume, like alfalfa or soybeans, it has nodules on the roots that contain bacteria that can take atmospheric nitrogen from the air in the spaces between the particles of soil and convert it to soluble nitrates, this enriching the soil!
Gerald G
June 7, 2011 at 5:52 pm
usually cover crops for agriculture terms are leguminous plants. Legumes has a root nodule that fixes nitrogen in the air, that’s why they’re very important for soil amendments and ameliorations. usually legumes has very high nitrogen content due to its ability to fix nitrogen in the air by its root nodule!
mseniorpogi
June 7, 2011 at 6:12 pm