cover crop

noun

: a crop planted to prevent soil erosion and to provide humus

Examples of cover crop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Farmers must still follow specific rules, such as terminating their cover crops early enough, which some scientists think limits how much these practices can reduce emissions. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 July 2024 Plantations that make use of cover crops, like green beans and peanuts planted between the rows of agave, almost always have lower rates of disease. Chantal Martineau, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2015 The funds will go to help farmers plant cover crops between growing seasons to reduce soil erosion and prevent nutrients from running off into the river. Delaney Dryfoos, Journal Sentinel, 4 July 2024 There’s the crawling vines of the beans, the cover crop of the squash grown below, and the shade being produced by the cornstalks. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for cover crop 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cover crop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cover crop was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near cover crop

Cite this Entry

“Cover crop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover%20crop. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

cover crop

noun
: a crop planted to prevent soil erosion and to provide humus

More from Merriam-Webster on cover crop

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