Green manuring

The positive role of green manuring in crop production has

been known since ancient time.
 Importance of soil ameliorating practice is importance in
recent years because of high cost of chemical fertilizers,
increased risk of environmental pollution, and need of
sustainable cropping systems.
Green manuring can improve soil physical, chemical, and
biological properties and consequently crop yields.
Furthermore, potential benefits of green manuring are
reduced nitrate (No3−) leaching risk and lower fertilizer N
requirements for succeeding crops.
 The practice of ploughing or turning into soil under-
decomposed green plant tissue for the purpose of improving
physical condition as well as fertility of the soil is referred to as
green manuring and the manure obtained by this method is known
as green manure.
Green manure plants that are grown in order to provide soil cover and
to improve the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of
soil.
Objectives:
Add biomass to soil (in order to accumulate soil organic matter, add
and recycle nutrients, feed soil life).
 Improve soil structure.
 Promote soil biological activities
 Provide soil cover for No-Tillage (reduces water evaporation and
soil temperature, and increases water infiltration).
 Protect soil from erosion.
 Reduce weed infestation.
 Reduce pest and disease infestation.
 WHY USE GREEN MANURES?
Nitrogen fixation
 Almost all legumes use Rhizobium bacteria to fix nitrogen from the
atmosphere.
Active nodules have a pinkish colour
The amount of nitrogen fixed varies between different species
Nitrogen conservation
Large quantities of nitrate can be lost from soil when it is left bare
Unlike other nutrient ions, nitrate is not strongly attracted to soil particles, so
any nitrogen that is in solution will be washed away as water moves down
through the soil with the onset of heavy rains
Rapid early growth and the development of an effective root system are
capture loss of nutrients and fixed in the nodules
Effects on soil structure and properties
Extensive fine roots enmesh the soil, helping to stabilise aggregates and
increase pore size.
 Some species (e.g. lucerne, chicory and red clover) produce deep tap roots
which help break up compacted soil.
 Root exudates provide food for micro-organisms, which in turn produce
polysaccharide gums, that helps make soil aggregates together.
Green manures can maintain the population of soil mycorrhiza
these fungi helps to mobilise phosphorus nutrition and maintain soil
structure by making soil aggregates with producing gums.
 The root system has a binding effect on the soil, so water erosion
is substantially reduced
A green manure increases surface roughness, reduce the wind
speed close to the soil and helping to minimise wind erosion.
Increased soil organic matter can help to improve water
holding capacity
Green manures helps to produce organic acids citric and butric
acids that helps release fixed phosphorus
 Effects on pests
Green manures can act as habitats for general predators.
These can be especially important to provide cover over
summer flowering plants will encourage good populations of
hoverflies, lacewings and parasitic wasps
Cabbage root fly and various other Brassica pests population
reduced by cabbage intercropping with clover green manuring
crop
Effects on diseases

The glucosinolates in Brassica green manures have also been

used in disease control (e.g. against Verticillium wilt of
strawberries and Rhizoctonia of various vegetables).
Many green manures will support microbial communities of
non pathogenic bacteria and fungi which will antagonise
pathogenic organisms.
Effects on weeds
One of the major benefits of green manures is their ability
to suppress weeds through fast and dense growing.
Growing a green manure adds diversity to the rotation and
reduces the opportunities for weeds to become adapted to a
particular cropping pattern
Some green manures also secrete specific chemicals into
the soil (both during their life and after incorporation) that
inhibit weed seed germination.
This ‘allelopathic effect’ is demonstrated by many clovers
but also non-legumes including rye
 Importance of green manure crops
Green undecomposed material used as manure is called
green manure.
 It is obtained in two ways: by growing green manure crops
or by collecting green leaf (along with twigs) from plants grown
in wastelands, field bunds and forest.
Green manuring is growing in the field plants usually
belonging to leguminous family and incorporating into the soil
after sufficient growth.
The plants that are grown for green manure known as green
manure crops.
The green-manure crop supplies organic matter as well as
additional nitrogen, particularly if it is a legume crop, due to its
ability to fix nitrogen from the air with the help of its root
nodule bacteria.
The green-manure crops also exercise a protective action
against erosion and leaching.
GREEN MANURING
Green manuring is the practice of incorporating
green plant tissues into the soil for improving the
soil productivity.
It is a low cost effective technology in
1.Minimizing the investment on cost of fertilizers.
2.Safeguarding the productive capacity of the soil.
 Criteria for selection of green manure crops
1. The green manure crops must develop good foliage and rapid
growth.
2. They should have deep root system.
3. They should be able to grow well on poor soils.
4. Water requirement of green manure crops should be less.
5. Must have legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
6. Should be of short duration.
7. Should be succulent, non-fibrous and non-woody in nature.
 Benefits of green manuring
1. Adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil.
2. Improves physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil.
3. Serves as source of food and energy for the soil microbial population.
4. The enhanced activities of soil organisms: by rapid decomposition and
release of plant nutrients in available forms.
5. Promotes formation of crumbs leading to better aeration and drainage in
the soils.
6. Builds up soil structure and improves tilth.
7. Improves water holding capacity of soils.
8. Suppress the growth of weeds
8. If it is a legume, it adds lot of nitrogen to the soil.
9. Uptake plant nutrients from the lower layers and adds them in the surface soil when
turned under.
10. Green manure crops act as cover crop and reduce the soil temperature and protect the
soil from erosion, crust formation.
11. Help in conserving nutrients by taking up soluble nutrients which might otherwise been
lost due to leaching or erosion.
12. Helps in reclaiming the saline and alkali soils.
13. Many green manure crops have additional use as sources of food, feed and fuel.
14. They increase the yield of crops.
Disadvantages of Green Manuring:
1.Growing green manure crops in rainfed area where annual rainfall is very
less results harmful effects because the green material added to the soil does
not decompose readily due to lack of sufficient water and retarded
decomposition results in nitrogen starvation of the subsequent crop.
2. Due to improper decomposition, problems of insect-pests and diseases
may come up.
3. Sometime the cost of green manuring is more than chemical fertilizers.
4. Green manure crop may be taken as a catch crop between the main crops.
Due to late sowing of green manure crop and insufficient moisture, burying of
green manure crop become late. Therefore, sowing of main crop may not be
done or delayed.
5. If rainfall is scanty, growth of green manure crops would be less vigorous
which results in less production of green matter.
Methods of green manuring
A. In-situ green manuring
It is a system by which green manure crops are grown and
incorporated in to the soil of the same field in which it is
grown.
a) Leguminous green manuring crops
1. Sun hemp : Crotalaria juncea
2. Daincha : Sesbania aculeate
3. Sesbania : Sesbania speciosa
4. Indigo : Indigofera tinctoria
5. Wild Indigo : Tephrosia purpurea
6. Cow pea : Vigna unguiculata/V. sinensis
7. Green gram/Mung : Phaseolus aureus/Vigna radiata
8. Black gram/Urd : Phaseolus mungo/Vigna mungo
9. Horse gram : Macrotyloma uniflorum
10. Cluster bean/Guar : Cyamopsis tetragonaloba
11. Berseem : Trifolium alexandrium
b) Non-leguminous green manuring crops
Crops like maize, sorghum, barley and oats can be used as green
manure crops.
B. Ex-situ green manuring/Green leaf manuring
The practice of collecting green leaves from all the available sources and
incorporating them in the soil is called as green leaf manuring.
1. Glyrcidia : Glyrcidia maculata
2. Subabul : Leucaena leucocephala
3. Agase : Sesbania grandiflora
4. Pongamia : Pongamia glabra
5. Eupatorium : Chromolaena odorata
6. Neem : Melia azadiracta
7. Cassia : Cassia siamea
8. Ipomea : Ipomoea carnea
9. Yekka : Calotropis gigantia
Green manuring practices

1. Green manure crop can be grown in any type of soil provided

there is sufficient rainfall or availability of irrigation water.

2. For leguminous green manure crop: Use proper strain of

bacteria and Molybdenum

3. The green manure crop should be sown with a higher seed rate:
Good canopy produced very quickly.
4. The production of green manures is limited by the deficiency of
essential nutrients in the soil.

5. The application of phosphatic fertilizers improves the growth of

leguminous crop and promotes the fixation of nitrogen by profuse
nodulation.

6. The best stage for incorporation into soil is the flowering stage.
Example Sunhemp is ready for turning in at the age of 7-8 weeks
whereas, Daincha is ready for incorporation when it is 5-6 weeks
old.

7. Incorporation of green manure crops should be done at least 3-

4 weeks before sowing or planting of main crop.
8. Incorporation of green manure crop is done in the different ways.
In some cases, the plants are cut close to the ground and put in the furrows
opened by a mould board plough and is later buried.
Mix the uprooted or cut plant material (green leaf manure) by means of disc
harrow.
9. Immediately after ploughing the material, care should be taken to cover it
with soil by using suitable implements to ensure proper decomposition.
Provide adequate soil moisture
10. Green manure crop such as daincha can be sown in between the rows of
main crops as intercrops. It can be uprooted and mixed with the soil by inter
cultivation.
11. Under limited moisture supply conditions, it is advisable to go for green
leaf manuring by growing the green manure crops in one field and add the
green material to another field. By adding this, the moisture required for
growing the green manure crop is saved.
 Table: Seed rate and biomass production of green
manure crops.

SL Name Seed rate Biomass yield

No. (kg/ha) (t/ha)
1 Sunhemp 25-40 21
2 Daincha 20-25 26
3 Cowpea 25-30 15
4 Indigo 25-30 12
5 Wild Indiga 25-40 16
6 Green gram 15 10
7 Black gram 15 10
8 Cluster bean 12-15 10
Productivity of green manure/green leaf manure
Crops Productivity (t/ha) Nitrogen (%)
Glyrecidia 6.0 0.54
Subabul 9.0 0.80
Pongamia 8.0 0.56
Sunnhemp 21.2 0.43
Dhaincha 20.3 0.43
Pillipesara 18.3 1.10
Susbania grandiflora 16.0 0.65
Cowpea 15.0 0.49
Clusterbean 20.0 0.34
Berseem 15.5 0.43
Greengram 8.0 0.53
 Table: Nutrient content of green manure crops
SLN Name Nutrient content (%)
N P K
1 Sunhemp 0.89 0.12 0.51
2 Daincha 0.68 0.13 0.40
3 Cowpea 0.71 0.15 0.53
4 Green gram 0.82 0.18 0.52
5 Black gram 0.82 0.18 0.52
6 Horse gram 0.91 0.18 0.65
7 Glyricidia 0.68 0.16 0.30
8 Pongamia 0.61 0.14 0.49
Gliricidia sepium is a fast growing, tropical, leguminous tree.
It is one of the common and best-known multipurpose trees in
many parts of Central America, Mexico, West Africa, West Indies,
South Asia, and tropical Americas.
The tree is used for timber, firewood, hedges, medicinal purpose,
charcoal, live fences, plantation shade, poles, soil stabilization, and
as green manure.
Gliricidia sepium adapts very well in a wide range of soils
ranging from eroded acidic (pH 4.5–6.2) soils, fertile sandy soils,
heavy clay, calcareous limestone, and alkaline soils.
Gliricidia tolerates fire and the trees quickly re-sprout with the
onset of rains.
Morphological and biochemical features of Gliricidia

 The leaves contain nutrients: Nitrogen (N) (2.4%),

Phosphorus (P) (0.2%), Potassium (K) (1.8%), Calcium (Ca)
and magnesium (Mg).
 It grows fast and is tolerant to pruning.

 The foliage can be used as green manure.

 It can thrive in dry, moist, acidic soils or even poor

degraded, infertile soils under rainfed conditions.
 Gliricidia is a root nodulating, N-fixing and multipurpose
legume.
 Cultivation and Management Practices
• Propagation: Gliricidia can be propagated through stem cuttings or
seed.
• Stem cutting :Gliricidia cuttings are taken from stems of at least
one-year-old plants
• Seed propagation
• The soaked seeds are sown in small polythene bags filled with a
mixture of red soil, sand, and farmyard manure (1:1:1) and watered
regularly. Generally, 3- to 4-month-old seedlings can be planted on
bunds in the rainy season. Seed propagation method is more
convenient for establishing a large number of plants.

a b
 Planting
• Gliricidia stem cuttings or 3- to 4-month-old seedlings can be
planted on bunds at 50 cm spacing during the rainy season.
• For steep slopes, closer plant spacings of < 20 cm is
recommended for better soil erosion control.
• Gliricidia plants from stem cuttings grow faster than those
grown from seeds.
 Pruning
• One year after planting, harvesting can be started by
cutting the plants at 75 cm above the ground. For good
management, plants should be pruned at appropriate
time.
• Pruning should be done at least thrice during the year;
i.e., in June (before sowing of the rainy season crop) in
November and in March (before sowing of the summer
crop).
 Chopping and mulching onto the soil

Gliricidia loppings are cut into small pieces. The

chopped material is applied to the soil surface as
mulch or incorporated into the soil as green
manure.
 Role in soil management

• Increases organic matter content in the soil.

• Improves soil physical properties.

• Restores and improves the soil fertility.

• Increases crop yields.

• Increases water-holding capacity of the soil.

• Reduces soil erosion.

 Additional uses

Plants are grown as live fence (hedge).

Stems are used as fuelwood
 Table : 3 Green manure leaf trees
SL. Green leaf
No. manures No. of Spacing Yield
plants/ha (m) (t/ha)

1 Subabul 5000 2x1 7.6

2 Sesbania 5000 2x1 4.4

3 Gliricidia 5000 2x1 13.2

 Sunhemp
• Sunhemp is quick growing leguminous crop cultivated for
green manure as well as fibre crop.
• When it is mix well in soils, it prevents leaching loss of
nutrients, also conserved soil moisture.
• Sunhemp is originated in India.
• It can be grown in adverse climatic conditions of drought,
alkalinity and salinity.
• In India it is cultivated in all the states.
• Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Orissa and
Uttar Pradesh are major sunhemp growing states for mainly
for fibre purpose
 Contd…
• Temperature: 20-35°C
• Rainfall: 400-1000mm

• SOIL
•  It can be cultivated in all type of well-drained
soil.
• Well drained sandy loam or loamy soil having
sufficient moisture holding capacity are suitable
for sunhemp grown for fibre purpose.
 Popular varieties and Their yield

• Narendra sanai 1: yield of 4 qtl/acre.

• PAU 1691: yield of 4.8 qtl/acre
• Ankur: 4.4 - 4.8 qtl/acre
• Swastik: 4 - 4.8 qtl/acre
• Shailesh: 4 - 4.8 qtl/acre
• T 6: Suitable for green manure purpose.
K 12: Gives average yield of 3.6 - 4.8 qtl/acre.
• Time of sowing: For green manure purpose, April to July is optimum time
for sowing. For seed production sow crop in June month.
• Spacing : When crop grown for green manure purpose, broadcasting
method is used. For seed purpose use row spacing of 45 cm.
Sowing Depth: Sowing depth should be 3-4 cm.
Method of sowing :Broadcasting method is used in case of green manure
purpose and seed drill is used when crop is grown for seed purpose.
 Seed Rate : For green manure purpose, use seed rate of 20 kg/acre is
sufficient and for seed purpose use seed rate of 10 kg/acre.
Seed Treatment : Before sowing soak seed for overnight for better
germination.
Fertilizer : For seed purpose as well as for green manure purpose, apply
Phosphours@16 kg/acre. As it is leguminous crop, nitrogen fertilizer are
not given. But some time, initially to boost up crop, Nitrogen @4-6
kg/acre is applied
Irrigation : When crop is grown for green manure purpose, it

required two - three irrigation depending upon weather

conditions. Flowering and grain development stage are crucial

for irrigation when crop is grown for grain purpose. Avoid

water stress during this period.

•Harvesting

 For grain purpose, harvesting is carried out 150 days after

sowing. (From mid-October to early November). When crop is

raised for green manure purpose, 45-60 days after sowing

buried crop in soil.

 DHAINCHA
• It is a generally used as green manure crop. It can be grown
on all season having sufficient moisture in soil.
• Temperature: 22-35°C
• Rainfall: 750-800mm
• SOIL: It can be grown on all type of soil. It gives best results
when grow in sandy loam to loamy soils.

• Popular varieties

 Punjab Dhaincha 1
 CSD 137:.
 CSD 123:
Time of sowing: Optimum time for sowing for green manure
purpose is from April - July whereas for seed purpose optimum time
for sowing is from Mid-June to Mid-July.

Spacing: For manuring purpose, use row spacing of 20-22.5cm and

for seed purpose use spacing of 45x20 cm.
Method of sowing: For sowing use seed drill method.

Seed Rate:For green manure crop sow 20 kg seed/acre. For grain

production, use 8 to 10 kg seeds per acre.

FERTILIZER :
 
Apply Phosphorus @12kg/acre in form of Superphosphate @
75kg/acre at time of sowing. If phosphorus dose is already given in
previous crop then avoid phosphorus application.
IRRIGATION :
If crop is grown for green manure purpose, in summer
period, three to four irrigation are required. When it is
grown for grain purpose, avoid water stress at flower
initiations and grain development stage.
Pest and their control:
Tobacco caterpillar: Larva feed on the leaves and
damage the crop. If infestation is observed, then spray
crop with Emamectin benzoate @ 0.5 ml /lit water
 Harvesting
• For green manure purpose buried crop in soil
when crop is of 40-60 days old.
• For grain purpose crop is ready to harvest
from mid-October to early November
depending upon the sowing period.
Sesbania rostrata :
One of the important features of this green manure is that in
addition to the root nodules, it produces nodules in the stem.
The stem nodulation is an adaptation for waterlogged situation
since flooding limits growth of green manures and may reduce root
nodulation.
Under normal condition, both root and stem nodules are effective
in N fixation.
It has higher N content of 3.56% on dry weight basis.
Biomass production is higher during summer (April – June) than
in winter (Dec. – Jan.) season.
This green manure can also be produced by raising seedlings (30
days old) and planted in the paddy field along the bunds or as
intercrop with rice.
Use of Rhizobium bacteria increase the nitrogen fixation about 60-
100 kg/ha/year.
Pillipesara (Pheseolus trilobus) :
This is a dual purpose crop yielding good fodder for the
cattle and green manure.
Pillipesara comes up well in hot season with sufficient
soil moisture.
Loamy or clayey soils are best suited.
After taking one or two cuttings for fodder or light
grazing by animals, the crop can be incorporated into the
soil.
About 5-8 tonnes of manure can be obtained from one
ha
Machinery For Incorporation Of Green Manures

• Plough: Good for turning under crops but does not chop or
mix crops; inverts the soil and crop layers
• Disc harrow :Good for reducing stubble and crops; heavier
models mix crop and soil well; does not work at depth
• Rotavator : Good for reducing crop and excellent at mixing;
requires high power input; high expenditure on parts
• Power harrow : Suited for reducing crops and good at
mixing; preserves soil profile but does not bury residues
• Cultivators: Good for loosening soil surface but does not
achieve much mixing or burying
• Chisel plough : This will tear up green manure crops and
also loosens the subsoil; ineffective for mixing and burying