Fig. 4

Cover crops sequester nutrients and produce rich crop residue. a Crop nutrients are sequestered by cover crops and stored in their tissues instead of being lost (e.g., leaching, erosion, and volatilization) and/or unavailable. b The nutrient-rich crop residue acts as a mulch or compost through decomposition to benefit the subsequent crop. BNF, biological nitrogen fixation; N nitrogen; P phosphorus; K potassium