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Article: The role of roots in soil building (or, let's root for roots).(decayed roots provide organic material to subsoils)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Countryside & Small Stock Journal
- Article date:
- September 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Countryside Publications Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Green manure crops are defined as any incorporation of plant material into the soil to contribute its organic material, as well as the minerals and trace elements in the foliage (drawn up by the roots from the subsoil), into the existing topsoil.
The amount of organic material to be incorporated by a green manure crop can be increased in volume several times by cutting it periodically during the summer.
Basically, the sole purpose of a plant is to produce seeds. Once this is done, its job for the year is finished and it goes into a dormant stage or even, in the case of an annual, dies.
If clipped before reaching the seed head stage however, the ...