ABSTRACT

Cover cropping is one of the integral components of sustainable agriculture. Cover crops are plants that are grown between agronomic crops to provide labile organic matter, recycle nutrients, cover and mulch of soil rather than being harvested from the field for grains or forage. They are grown both individually and in blends in agro-ecosystems. The use of a blend of several types of cover crops is a very promising and holistic agricultural method because it is expected to supply a variety of biochemical compounds to the soil and provide unique characteristics necessary for a stable high yield of crops. Ecosystem services are a combination of benefits that agriculture acquires through certain conditions. Sustainable management of soil can provide many ecosystem services related to the regulation of water and air quality, climatic conditions, food supply, etc. Cover cropping, as one integral component of sustainable agriculture, plays a significant role in ecosystem services as it affects the soil properties and processes.