Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review
Valentina Quintarelli,
Emanuele Radicetti,
Enrica Allevato,
Silvia Rita Stazi,
Ghulam Haider,
Zainul Abideen,
Safia Bibi,
Aftab Jamal,
Roberto Mancinelli
Affiliations
Valentina Quintarelli
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari n. 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Emanuele Radicetti
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari n. 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Enrica Allevato
Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari n. 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Silvia Rita Stazi
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari n. 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Ghulam Haider
Department of Plant Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Zainul Abideen
Dr. Muhammed Ajmal Khan, Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
Safia Bibi
Department of Plant Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Aftab Jamal
Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Roberto Mancinelli
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Cover cropping is a promising and sustainable agronomic practice to ameliorate soil health and crop performances in agro-ecosystems. Indeed, cover crops (CCs) may regulate several ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, soil fertility, moderation of extreme meteorological events, pollination, and climate and water regulation; in addition, CCs are also used as forage crops and have considerable effects on plant and soil biodiversity. However, to achieve the desired effects on agro-ecosystems, cover cropping should be carefully adopted by considering the specie choice, period of cultivation, and termination method based on site, farm, or purpose-specific. The main objective of this manuscript is to analyze the effects of modern agriculture on soil and environmental health and how cover crops can support sustainable cropping systems and global food security. In addition, it focuses on how the incorporation of cover crops into conventional cropping systems can help in the diversification of crops and assist in mitigating the environmental effects of cropping systems. Finally, this review thoroughly investigates the potential effects of CCs on environmental sustainability, which can be an important source of information for sustainable crop production and food security.
