Cover crops are plants or a diverse mixture of plants that are grown to help suppress weeds, manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, disease, wildlife and biodiversity.

It’s different for every farmer, but in general, cover crop benefits include: enhanced soil biology, improved soil structure, increased infiltration, reduced erosion, weed suppression, nutrient cycling and wildlife propagation.

Used as a rotation in cropping or pasture system, cover crops can provide huge amounts of bio-mass that can be grazed with very little inputs.

When correct techniques are used, cover crops can create opportunities to make the most of 'out-of-season' rain and convert into live weight gains whilst improving soil health.

Thought and care needs to be taken in managing soil moisture for following crops in low rainfall environments.

Well-planned annual cover crop mixes can provide highly nutritious avaliable forage when perennial grass pastures are either unproductive, poor in quality, or in need of rest. This delivers tremendous benefit to animal health and production.

Inter-row cover crops in orchards help increase soil organic matter, improve soil structure, combat soil compaction, help with weed suppression and improve nutrient availability. Cover crops also support pest and disease management in orchards and market gardens as they provide pollen and habitat for natural predators and parasitoids.