cover crops

Noun

cover crop (plural cover crops)

1. Any of many crops planted between others or after others so as to prevent erosion and to improve soil quality (especially by adding nitrogen); such a crop is often plowed into the soil as a green manure at the end of its season. Crops often used as cover crops include legumes (e.g., clover, sweet clover, vetch), cereals (e.g., rye, oats), and roots (e.g., radishes, turnips).