The key difference between nurse crop and cover crop is that in agriculture, a nurse crop is an annual crop used to help in the establishment of perennial crops, while a cover crop is a crop that is planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested.
Multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same piece of land during one season. This cropping system helps farmers to double their crop productivity as well as their income. In this cropping system, the risk of weed growth and pest and disease infestation is reduced due to the mutual relationships between crops. Nurse crop and cover crop are two crops used in the multiple cropping systems, helping the growth of the main crop.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Nurse Crop
3. What is a Cover Crop
4. Similarities – Nurse Crop and Cover Crop
5. Nurse Crop vs Cover Crop in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Nurse Crop vs Cover Crop
What is a Nurse Crop?
A nurse crop is an annual crop used to help in the establishment of perennial crops in agriculture. The widest use of nurse crops involves the establishment of legumaceous plants such as alfalfa, clover, and trefoil. Sometimes, nurse crops are used for the establishment of perennial grasses.
Figure 01: Nurse Crops (Alfalfa and Oats)
There are numerous benefits from the usage of nurse crops in multiple cropping. Nurse crops reduce the incidence of weeds, prevent erosion, and prevent excessive sunlight from reaching tender seedlings. One of the well-known examples of a nurse crop is oats. Spring barley, spring triticale, spring peas, and millet are a few more examples of other nurse crops. Moreover, nurse cropping of tall or dense canopied plants can protect more vulnerable species through shading or by providing a windbreak. Nurse crops are also widely used in new legume establishments, new hay establishments, and new pasture establishments. The seeding rate for nurse crops is about 1.5bu/acre or about 32 to 48Ibs per acre. Heavier rates can cause too much competition with the main crop.
What is a Cover Crop?
A cover crop is a plant that is planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Generally, cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water amount, weeds, pest diseases, and biodiversity. They also manage wildlife in an agroecosystem that is shaped by humans. Cover crops may be an off-season crops planted after harvesting the cash crops (a cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop that is grown to sell for profit). Moreover, they may grow over winter.
Figure 02: Cover Crop (Italian Ryegrass as a Cover Crop after Maize)
A few examples of cover crops include mustard, alfalfa, rye, clovers, buckwheat, cowpeas, radish, vetch, Sudan grass, and Australian winter peas. The seeding rate for Sudan grass is around 25 to 30Ibs per acre.
What are the Similarities Between Nurse Crop and Cover Crop?
- Nurse crop and cover crop are two crops used in the multiple cropping systems to assist the growth of the main crop.
- Both crop types can prevent weeds and soil erosion.
- They can contribute to increasing the productivity of the main crop.
- They are very important for agroecosystems.
What is the Difference Between Nurse Crop and Cover Crop?
A nurse crop is an annual crop used to help in the establishment of a perennial crop, while a cover crop is a plant that is planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Thus, this is the key difference between nurse crop and cover crop. Furthermore, the benefits of nurse crops include reducing the incidence of weeds, preventing erosion, and preventing excessive sunlight from reaching tender seedlings. On the other hand, the benefits of cover crops include managing soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water amount, weeds, pest diseases, biodiversity, and wildlife.
The below infographic presents the differences between nurse crop and cover crop in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Nurse Crop vs Cover Crop
Nurse crop and cover crop are two crops used in the multiple cropping systems in order to help the growth of the main crop. A nurse crop is an annual crop used to assist in the establishment of perennial crops. A cover crop is a plant that is planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. So, this summarizes the difference between nurse crop and cover crop.
Reference:
1. “Nurse Cropping.” The Daily Garden.
2. “Cover Crops: Types, Benefits from Farming Practice, & Tips to Use.” EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Nurse crop, alfalfa under oats” By Daniel X. O'Neil – Flickr: Nurse crop (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “2004 0609 Italian ryegrass cover crop” By Alan Manson – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia