SST 4304 CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE

ROLE OF COVER CROPS IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

BY

WAN AHMAD FARHAN BIN

WAN AHMAD SHABRI ZAINUDDIN

180123

LECTURER: DR. CHRISTOPHER TEH BOON SUNG

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

2017/2018
INTRODUCTION

Sustainable agriculture is an agriculture production system that uses one or

more practices that are environmentally sound and socially responsible. Productivity

and profit are still the focus of sustainable agriculture, but they must be achieved with

the care of the environment and well-being of the farm household and local

community. Sustainable agriculture deliberately lowers artificial or synthetic inputs and

non-renewable energy sources, and replaces them with natural materials or methods.

This is done through several sustainable agriculture practices, such as integrating

livestock and crops, reducing or eliminating tillage, or planting cover crops.

COVER CROPS

A cover crop is a crop grown primarily for the protection and enrichment of the

soil. They are planted during off-season times when soils might otherwise be left bare.

These crops protect and build soil health by preventing erosion, replenishing soil

nutrients, and keeping weeds in check, reducing the need for herbicides. Several

common cover crops in Malaysia are Mucuna bracteata, Pueraria javanica, and

Pueraria phaseoloides.

ROLE OF COVER CROPS IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

Cover crops may be used to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Some

research has shown that cover crops were able to mitigate warming by 100 to 150

grams of carbon per square meter per year, which is comparable to mitigation from

transitioning to no-till farming. The presence of cover crops with higher canopy albedo

would help lower temperature during sunny days. Other than that, they could reduce

the amount of energy spent in synthesizing chemically made fertilizers, herbicides,

and pesticides. Legumes such as Mucuna and Pueraria help convert nitrogen gas in
the atmosphere into soil nitrogen that plants can use, thus reducing the need to apply

fertilizers. Increasing use of cover crops also increase microbial populations and

increase nutrient cycling. Soil erosion is prevented as the roots of these cover crops

hold them, besides helping to reduce soil surface temperature. Besides that, they can

relieve soil compaction by improving structure of over tilled soil. Through this,

machinery usage can be reduced, thus reducing the amount of energy used, besides

emissions from petrol usage into the atmosphere.