ABSTRACT
Green manure is defined as fresh organic matter/undecomposed plant material/ real organic matter, natural plant food added to the soil for the purpose of supplying plant nutrients. Economics of raising a legume especially for biological nitrogen fixation is not attractive. Intercropping of legumes with cereals and supplying starter nitrogen dose under optimum supplies of other yield limiting nutrients is sustainable. Green manuring per se does not significantly increase organic carbon in tropical soils but benefits accrue from the substitution of chemically fixed nitrogen and enhanced biological activity. Major crop residues in India come from sugarcane, coconut, wheat, paddy, maize, sunflower, cotton, redgram, castor, small grains and grasses. Management of sugarcane trash, coir pith, bagasse of sugarcane, gin trash of cotton as a source of plant nutrients and soil amendment assumes greater importance.
