Organic Framing

Advantages of Green Manuring

1. Helps in improving physical and chemical properties of soil. E.g. Builds up soil structure, improves tilth, formation of crumbs in heavy soil, increases water holding capacity.
2. Green manure crops absorb nutrients from the lower layer of soils and leave them in the soil surface layer when ploughed in for use by the succeeding crops.
3. Helps to maintain OM status of soil.
4. Acts as source of food and energy to soil microbes and increases their population.
5. Helps in release of nutrients in available form for use by the crops. E.g. GM crop increases the solubility of lime phosphate because of increase in microbial activity.
6. Prevents leaching of nutrients to lower layers.
7. Increases aeration of rice soils by stimulating the activities of surface films of algae and bacteria.
8. It reduces soil temperature and protects the soil from the erosion action of water as it forms canopy cover on the soil.
9. Leguminous green manure plants helps in N-fixation and adds the same to the soil. E.g. 60-100 kg N/ha in single season.
10. Green manures
• 60 to 200 kg N/ha.
• Crotolaria juncea (sun hemp)
• 17 t/ha biomass, 160 kg N/ha
11. Dhainchia (Sesbania aculeata)
• 25-26 t/ha biomass, 18.5 kg N/ha
12. Helps in soil amelioration. E.g. Sesbania aculcata (Dhaincha) in soil.
• when applied continuously for 4-5 seasons, green leaf manuring crops like Argenone maxicana and Tamarindus indicus has buffering effect in sodic soils.
13. Certain green manure like pongamia and neem leaves are reported to control insects.
14. Increases yield to the extent of 15-20 per cent compared to no green manuring.